Seasons of Life
by 554Laura
Summary: Written for the Bones 2019 summer challenge. A retrospective story of how the partnership between Booth and Brennan was molded by a recurring theme. Several past episodes will be referenced. Chapters will be of various lengths and over a wide variety of topics. I don't own Bones or its characters.
1. Bears and Terrorists

_**Here is part of my entry for the Bones Summer Challenge. For this story, I chose to do the following challenge:**_

Challenge 3 (Revisiting the past):

Pick your favorite episode from each season of the show and then write a story that references something from each one, whether it's a character returning, the team reminiscing or reflecting on a turning point in their lives, a line of dialog, similar case, etc.

_**I tweaked it a little bit because, like most Bones fans, I can't pick just one favorite episode from each season, so a couple of episodes will be mentioned obliquely in each chapter.**_

_**The chapters will probably be posted at random intervals as the mood strikes. I was going to wait until I had more written, but this chapter kept nagging me to publish it, so here we go.**_

_**I hope you enjoy my story. I think that as we go through the chapters, my readers will be able to see the overlying theme.**_

_**This chapter is set in season 1. **__**If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura**_

* * *

It had been a long day of traveling, and it wasn't over yet. After a four hour drive from Aurora, Washington, to the Sea-Tac airport, Booth and Brennan were waiting to board the flight that would take them home to DC.

Tired and hungry, Booth grunted in frustration as he checked his phone and then put it back in his pocket. "Dammit…"

"What's wrong, Booth?" Brennan looked up from her book and watched as he dug around in his carry on to find his snacks. "Don't you have any service?"

"Oh, I've got service...all the bars are lit up all nice and bright, see?" He held out the phone where his partner could see it. "That's not the problem." Seeing her concern, he gave her a dismissive wave. "Don't worry about it...it's not a big deal…"

"I disagree. You've checked your phone approximately every five minutes for the last hour. Obviously something about your phone is bothering you." She shrugged as she turned back to her book. "However, if you don't wish to discuss it, that's fine. I just thought that I could help. After all, you've told me several times that partners share things...that it builds trust...but I wouldn't want to intrude…"

Booth rolled his eyes as he grumbled to himself. Of course she'd remember what he'd said when they first began working together. He hadn't quite gotten used to the fact that she could remember practically everything he'd said word for word. He knew if he wanted her to trust him, he'd have to follow through...he'd have to tell her what was going on. Clearing his throat, he stared at his phone. "I was just hoping that Tessa had called me, that's all."

Brennan's brow furrowed as she studied Booth. "You haven't heard from her at all this past week?" Closing her book, she thought through the situation. "Perhaps we were out of cellular telephone range while we were in Aurora. I had to use my portable antenna to access the internet..."

"Maybe...but she didn't leave any messages at the hotel for me, either. I sent her a text as soon as we got there, but I guess she ignored it." Booth grimaced slightly as he checked the phone again. "She's mad at me…"

"Oh." Unsure of what to say, Brennan stared at the book on her lap. "I'm sorry…"

"Yeah...it's no big deal. She'll get over it." Booth sat back in his seat and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before turning to Brennan, watching as she reopened her book. He had to admit...Dr. Brennan was quite a beautiful woman, and in some respects, he could see why Tessa might be jealous, but still…

Finally the silence between them seemed heavy with things unsaid, and he decided to clear the air. "So...here's the deal. Remember when I took out that terrorist at that conference? And it was a pretty intense situation, so afterwards we went for a drink, right? Well, Tessa was unhappy that I was so late getting home...I hadn't called her to tell her where I was…"

"...and she was worried about you." Brennan looked up from her book. "Just as I suspected. That seems to be a perfectly normal reaction. After all, she cares for you…"

"Yeah, but it was more than her not knowing where I was. She wanted to know who I'd been with and what we'd been doing...what we'd talked about...where we had gone...it was like she didn't trust me, and it kinda bugged me. I mean, I don't ask her about everything she does at her job."

Booth hesitated slightly as he noticed how intensely blue Brennan's eyes were...they were striking. Maybe that was the problem. The partners who ran the law firm where Tessa worked were both bald, pudgy men in their late fifties. It would never occur to him to be jealous of those guys. Brennan, on the other hand, was beautiful.

His random thoughts were interrupted as she spoke again. "Why didn't you just tell here what you were doing? You were having a drink with your partner after completing a difficult assignment. After all, that was the truth. There's nothing complicated about that."

"I did tell her that, and she wanted to know why she hadn't been invited to come along, but, you know...it was a spur of the moment thing, remember? We hadn't planned it...we just went to Sid's so I could decompress some before I went home. Taking out that guy like I did...I needed to come down from the stress." He cringed as he remembered the argument that had ensued when he finally got home. Tessa wanted to know all the tiny little details, but Booth couldn't bring himself to describe exactly how he'd nailed the bad guy in the forehead in a crowded building...she just wouldn't understand that...not like Bones did. Dinner that night had been silent...Tessa was withdrawn, upset that he'd had to kill someone. It had made him feel so awkward. He was uncomfortable with having to tell her about it, knowing that she wouldn't realize how much it bothered him as well.

Maybe that was the difference...Bones rarely made him uncomfortable when it came to his work. She accepted him without judgment, and it was refreshing...he could tell her anything...

Stretching slightly as he shifted in his seat, he continued. "Anyway...when she found out I was going to be taking this trip with you, and that she wasn't invited, she was really annoyed with me. She wanted to know everything we'd be doing, but, you know...I had no idea of what all this investigation would entail…but I knew we wouldn't have time to do anything fun while we were here, because I'd be working..."

"You mean you didn't know we'd be doing things like scooping up bear feces or tracking forest rangers who eat bear meat or dancing in a noisy bar so we could interrogate suspects…"

"Yeah...I guess." He couldn't help but smile when he remembered how cute Brennan had looked when they were dancing. "The point is this...I don't think I should have to explain everything that me and you do together while we're on a case. I think she should trust me...she should know that I wouldn't do anything inappropriate because I'm committed to her…besides, all this case stuff would be boring for her, right? Why would she want to know all of that?"

Brennan turned a page in her book. "Perhaps she wants to understand your work in a more intimate way. Anthropologically speaking, the identity of most men is tied to their career and how successful they are at that career. More successful men have a higher status in society. Tessa may be trying to relate to you better, that's all. She probably wants to encourage you so you'll become more successful."

"But I shouldn't have to tell her every little thing. What goes on in a case should be just ours, right?" He paused slightly. Maybe he was being selfish, but he had no desire to tell Tessa everything that happened when he was working with Brennan. There were things that happened between them that his girlfriend just wouldn't understand. Their discussions about life, religion, philosophy...little tidbits about their pasts that they'd shared with each other...how they felt about various things...Tessa would think it was weird, when, instead, it was just a part of their work relationship. He and Brennan spent a lot of time together, and it was natural that they'd become close, right? "I think she just needs to mind her own business. She doesn't need to know all the gory details."

"Unfortunately, that attitude may come across as uncaring as far as she is concerned. It's my understanding that open communication between partners is imperative if a relationship is to flourish." She gave him a sidelong glance as she put her book away. "Tessa may feel as if you're hiding something from her, and that probably hurts her feelings."

"Maybe so, but it kinda hurts my feelings that she hasn't called me. I don't like getting the silent treatment when I haven't actually done anything wrong." Grumbling softly, he put his phone back in his pocket. "I think she's overreacting…'

Brennan sighed as she shook her head. The solution was so simple, but Booth was a stubborn man. "You could call her, you know…"

"Yeah, I could, but I'm not the one who had a tantrum because someone had to go on a trip for work." Booth's complaint was interrupted by the gate agent's announcement that their plane was ready to board.

They quickly found their seats and got situated as the flight attendants bustled down the aisle. Brennan took out a notebook and looked through their case notes. "It's hard to imagine that our perpetrator is a cannibal…"

"I know, right?" Leaning back in his seat, he stared out the small window. It was hard to picture himself telling Tessa that they'd arrested a cannibal after looking through bear poop in the remote Washington forest, and he wondered how she'd react when he told her that the crazy doctor had eaten the heart of one of the victims, and that the other victim had been identified from a tattoo on a skin fragment.

In fact, he thought it might be funny to tell her that, just to see what she'd say, but he knew Tessa wouldn't believe that wild story and then she'd be mad at him all over again for teasing her, even though he'd be telling her the absolute truth. She just didn't get it...a lot of things like that happened to him and Bones for some reason. Between the two of them, they'd already solved some pretty crazy cases.

Closing his eyes, he sighed softly. Although he'd never tell his partner, he'd come to suspect that Tessa wasn't as interested in his work as who he was working with. His girlfriend was jealous of Brennan, pure and simple.

However, that didn't change how he felt about his partner. The work they did together was special...too special to be dissected by a needy girlfriend. He and Brennan were becoming a great team, and close friends. He'd worked too hard to gain Brennan's trust and there was no way he was gonna backtrack just because his girlfriend was jealous of her. There was no way he was going to give up on this partnership now that they'd hit their stride.

Nodding to himself, he made a decision about working with Brennan. He was going to make sure that whatever happened during their partnership would remain theirs, no matter what Tessa thought about it.

As long as he worked with Brennan, he'd work to maintain her trust. He wouldn't allow everything they knew about each other to become common knowledge.

What was theirs would be theirs alone.


	2. The Language of Hugs

_**Another mash up from Season 2 episodes. Some of the dialog is borrowed from Judas on the Pole.**_

_**If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura**_

* * *

The huge puddle of blood in the middle of Brennan's apartment would have been enough to rattle anyone. The fact that the blood might belong to her brother, Russ, made the situation even more frightening.

"That's too much blood…nobody could have survived that much blood loss", she'd stammered as she clung to Booth. As afraid as Brennan was, there was something about being in Booth's arms that made always her feel safe. If anyone could find out what had happened in her living room, she knew it would be him...her friend and her partner.

A few minutes later, they were in her car, speeding through the darkness,as they tried to figure out their next move. "It's against the law...us not calling in a murder…", she said softly.

"It wasn't a murder.." Booth focused his attention on the road ahead. "It was a blood stain."

Brennan was unconvinced by his attempt at logic. "With that much blood, it was definitely a murder."

Booth shook his head at her. "If we call that in, the next thing you know we'll find ourselves under arrest. You got a sample of the blood, right?" He paused as she nodded. "We'll check the DNA at the lab, okay? Anyway, who's always the one who says we shouldn't jump to conclusions?"

"You're right. Thanks." She nodded in agreement, blindly staring out the passenger window as the buildings seemed to fly by. "I wish you wouldn't let me keep hugging you when I get scared."

Booth couldn't help but grin. "I tell you what...when I get scared, you can hug me, okay?"

Silence ensued for a few minutes before Brennan coughed slightly. "Please don't tell anyone that I was scared and needed comforting while we were at my apartment this evening. Blood doesn't usually affect me that way. I'm normally quite capable of handling such things at a crime scene."

"Hey, you should know I'm not the kind of guy who hugs and tells." He chuckled softly before realizing she had missed his little joke. "Yeah, of course I'll keep that little bit of information under my hat. What's ours is ours, right?" Shrugging at her, he reached over to pat her hand. "Listen, Bones...it's perfectly normal to be upset when you see a big puddle of blood that may belong to someone you love, okay? And besides, I think needing a hug is normal, too."

"I don't understand. Why would getting a hug at a crime scene be normal?", Brennan asked innocently.

Hesitating for a few seconds, Booth glanced at his partner. "Well, I've been in some tight spots, right? I mean, there's been times when a suspect has shot at me...and when I was in the Army, there were some bad firefights, okay? But afterwards...after the fighting was over...me and the guys who were on my side would stand around and talk, and we'd shake hands, or high five, or slap each other on the back. I guess we were sort of celebrating that we were still alive. I think it's kind of like when we go for a drink after we solve a case…we need that human contact."

"Oh...you mean bonding time. Yes, as humans, most of us want to bond with our pack or our team after stressful situations, and physical contact assists in that endeavor." Smiling at her partner, Brennan arched an eyebrow at him. "Good job using anthropology, Booth. However, several weeks ago, when we found out that Will Hastings had killed his brother in that remote forest, I wasn't scared when you saw me in my office later that evening and you still gave me a hug. Why?"

Booth made a face, indicating that she'd asked a silly question. "Yeah, I did, but that was a different kind of hug, remember? That was a 'guy' hug and you got it because you were upset. Two totally different things. You just gotta know the context."

Tilting her head to one side, Brennan studied her partner. "What about when we went to talk to Vince McVicker? He made me cry, and you embraced me. What kind of hug was that?"

"That was an 'I need to grab Bones so I don't beat the shit out that guy' hug, obviously. I was ready to pound that guy." As they pulled into the lab's parking garage, Booth grinned. "There's all kinds of hugs, alright? Like when we pulled you out of that gravel pit where the Grave Digger had buried you, and I gave you that little squeeze? That was an 'I'm so glad to see you' hug, okay? That's just the way it is with people...different people mean different things when they hug someone. So the rule is, when someone offers a hug, just take it, okay? It's easier that way."

"I suppose...but it seems like I still owe you some hugs. You've given me far more than I've given you."

Rolling his eyes, Booth chuckled as he got out of the car. Only his partner would keep track of how many times who had hugged who…"Don't worry about it, Bones. You'll catch up some day."

"I hope so. I don't like being indebted to someone."

Booth smiled to himself as they walked into the lab. In spite of how terrible things were at the moment, there was at least a tiny light at the end of the tunnel. Bones wanted to give him hugs, and he was looking forward to that.

Oooooooooo

The partners were sitting in the diner a few months later, rehashing what had happened when Brennan had rescued Booth from Melvin Gallagher. He was banged up and there was an awful burn on his leg, but he would recover, thanks to his partner's quick thinking.

Noticing his partner's smirk, Booth raised an eyebrow as he picked up a bite of pie with his fork. "What?"

"I gave you a hug when I rescued you because I assumed you were frightened."

She was so pleased with herself, and it was adorable. "Ha...that you did." Booth pretended to be nervous. You're not gonna tell everyone about me being scared, are ya?"

"No, of course not, although I'm sure most people would certainly understand." Hesitating, she sipped her tea. "I was afraid for you...afraid that Max and I wouldn't find you. I think I needed that hug as much as you did."

"Well, I was sure you'd come for me, and see? I was right." He ate another bite of pie. "So, anyway, I guess now we're even in the hug department, right?"

"No, we most certainly are not." She grimaced at him, obviously thinking he was a silly man. "You gave me a hug when Sully left, remember? You put your arm around my shoulders, and then you teased me about getting sick at a crime scene and we went to breakfast at the pier."

"Oh...yeah." Putting his fork down, he took a long sip of his coffee. "Well...you see...that was a 'I'm scared' hug…"

"But I wasn't scared. I was annoyed...and my feelings were hurt…but I wasn't afraid of what would happen if he left me behind…"

Staring at the table, Booth shook his head. "Nah...you don't understand. I was the one who was scared...I was afraid you were gonna leave me and go off to sail the Caribbean with Sully, and then what would I do?" Seeing the surprise in her eyes, he cleared his throat. "I'd have to train a new partner, you know?"

"Yes, I can see how that might present a problem."

The partners were silent for a few minutes as they both contemplated Sully's effect on their partnership. Finally Brennan shook her head, giving her partner a teasing grin. "Booth, do you think anyone else knows about all the different kinds of hugs there are in the world?"

He laughed softly. "I doubt it. Most people aren't as excited to break things down into so many categories like you do." Seeing her slight frown, he reached over to pat her hand. "Nobody else needs to know what we know about hugs, Bones. What's ours is ours, okay? That's all that matters."

"You're right, Booth. What we have between us is all that's important."

They smiled at each other, both of them happy and relieved that they'd get to share many more hugs together.


	3. Superpowers

_**A/N: as I've written these stories, it's been fun to look back through the episodes to see how much Booth and Brennan have grown as individuals, and as partners as friends. The characters both changed quite a bit as the series went on.**_

_**This is chapter references Death in the Saddle, Mummy in the Maze and Baby in the Bough.**_

* * *

The large black SUV sped along the country road, winding its way through the thick West Virginia forest as Booth drove them back to DC. He glanced at Brennan as she watched the scenery go by. She was unusually pensive this afternoon, even after their impromptu picnic, when they'd sat in the back of his truck having a sandwich and enjoying each other's company, and he thought he knew why. As much as she had brushed off her attachment to little Andy, he knew that cute baby had made quite an impression on his partner, and while he normally thought the whole 'biological clock' thing was silly, he also knew she probably couldn't help but wonder if that part of life had passed her by.

Clearing his throat, he decided it was time to cheer her up. "Hey, you know what? I think you made a good choice wearing that Wonder Woman costume to the Jeffersonian's Halloween Gala."

Surprised at his utterly random statement, Brennan turned to her partner with a furrowed brow. "That was months ago, Booth. Why would you bring that up now?"

Booth bit his lip to keep from blurting out his secret. Even though at least six months had passed since Halloween, in his mind's eye he could still see her wearing that outfit, down to the last detail...those cute little shorts...those white boots on her long legs...the way her breasts had threatened to spill out of her bodice... _Whoa, boy...don't even go there…_

That costume had played a prominent part in several of his more 'interesting' dreams lately, and between them and the pony play dreams he'd had, he hadn't been sleeping as well as he'd liked, but wow...it was certainly worth it.

When he finally figured out she was staring at him, he quickly shrugged. "Well, I was just thinking about all the superpowers you used during this investigation, you know? Some of that stuff was pretty amazing."

She rolled her eyes as she turned back to the window. "It was merely scientific knowledge...there was nothing heroic about it."

"Maybe not to you, but seeing how you could find the number that had been filed off that pistol, just by exposing it to acid? Being there when you figured out how to separate the bone fragments from that ground up tire crap just by using water? That's powerful stuff. And then, to top it off, you figure out how to get that little town a bridge to the highway to connect them to the rest of the world. Amazing..."

He heard her loud sigh of disagreement, but he forged ahead. "Look, here's the thing, okay? A lot of people know science facts, but they don't know how to use those facts. You can apply the knowledge you have so that we can solve cases. That's your superpower. That's what makes you Wonder Woman."

"I'd like to believe that to be true.", Brennan said softly. "However, in the things that matter most, I seem to be a failure. Here I am, a licensed foster parent, and yet I had no idea of how to meet Andy's basic needs. I couldn't change his diaper at the proper time...I couldn't tell if he was crying because he was uncomfortable or merely tired...I let him swallow a small key…" She sniffled as she brushed a tear away. "I've come to realize that I would be a terrible parent."

"Nah." Booth shook his head as he checked his mirrors. "You were right when you said that merely having breasts…" He cringed slightly as he thought of the costume once again. "...that having breasts wouldn't automatically make you know how to take care of a baby. It takes practice, that's all."

"You seemed to know right away what Andy needed, Booth, and since Parker is approximately seven years old, I would imagine you to be out of practice as well, but you were quite capable. Your skill in caring for Andy made me realize how much I have to learn. I was actually quite envious."

"Listen, Bones...if you ever decide to have a kid, you'll be a great mom, okay? I know you became attached to our little tiger…we both did. No shame in that."

"I became attached because I was his caregiver. It's merely anthropology, Booth. The community steps in to care for the orphaned offspring to ensure the continuation of the species."

"Yeah, right. Whatever you say, Bones." Booth sighed as he patted her hand. "That's why I saw you wiping your eyes and blowing your nose when you excused yourself to go to the ladies' room after the adoption papers were signed, right? It wasn't because you were gonna miss him or anything like that…"

She was caught, and she knew it, but there was no need to hide her feelings from Booth. He would understand how she felt and not belittle her. "Yes, of course, I'll miss him. I find that I very much enjoyed providing Andy with his basic needs, as well as exposing him to both auditory and visual stimulation." She wiggled her fingers at Booth. "He seemed to like watching my 'dancing phalanges' quite a bit."

"See? It's just a matter of trial and error...that's how things work sometimes in science, right? You tried to entertain Andy, and he liked it. You'd be a great mom."

Brennan hesitated slightly as she checked her fingernails. "I don't think so. I don't think I'm ever going to be in a position to have an offspring, anyway, and even if I did…" Biting her lip, she sighed. "I'd need so much help...I wouldn't have any idea of how to do anything for an infant...not like you do…you were the one who was wonderful during this case."

Slightly embarrassed by the compliment, Booth chuckled softly. "Hey, I'm gonna let you in on a secret, okay? I'm gonna tell you a story that nobody else knows except my grandparents. I never even told Rebecca, so you've got to promise not to tell anyone else…"

"Of course I won't tell anyone, Booth. You've said many times that's what's ours is ours…"

"Yeah, but this isn't really about a case. This is more of a personal matter." Seeing her concern he smiled. "It's a funny story, actually. See, I'd had very little contact with babies or toddlers until Parker was born. During the first few months he was around, he spent most of his time with Rebecca, and I'd get to see him for part of a weekend, but I hadn't ever had him for more than a few hours. Then one weekend, Rebecca had to go out of town, and she asked me to keep him for the whole weekend. Piece of cake, right? I mean, how hard could it be...he wasn't even crawling yet. So I get him to my apartment, and I set his baby carrier up on the kitchen counter where he can see me. We were fine for a few minutes, and I knew I had this being a dad thing down, right? It was so easy...no big deal. So I'm cooking dinner, and he's getting fussy for some reason, but I can't figure out why...until I smell it…"

"Oh my...feces?"

"Yep, it was everywhere. I mean the kid was literally up to his armpits in poop. It was in his sleeper...in his carrier…" Booth wrinkled his nose in disgust. "It was awful. So I get the stove turned off, and I grab the carrier and take him into the bathroom to clean everything up, and then I realize I'd left the diaper bag in my SUV. Unfortunately, I'd already stripped off his clothes, right? So I bundled him up in an old tee shirt, and carry him down to the car...and then I realize that my car keys are on the counter next to the carrier. Now by this time, he's screaming bloody murder...which attracts the attention of Mrs. Ross, my next door neighbor. She meets me in the hall...and I tell you what, I was never so glad to see anyone in my whole entire life. She helped me get Parker calmed down. Then we got him bathed and fed, and put down for the night, but I was exhausted...and then I remembered I'd have to do the whole thing over the next day..."

Brennan nodded in understanding. "So what you're saying is that having testicles doesn't automatically make a man know how to care for children, either."

Booth grimaced slightly. "Well, that may not have been exactly what I was saying…"

"So was the rest of that weekend better?" Brennan sat back in her seat and watched her partner. "I assume Mrs. Ross was available to assist you…"

"Yeah, and I called my Nana for help, too. I figured if she'd found out I hadn't called her to begin with, there'd be hell to pay. She was one tough little lady…anyway, that's how I learned to take care of babies. It was kind of a combat situation, you know...jump in and do the best you can, learning on the run. After a few times, I was an old pro at it."

"It sounds like you learned your new skills very quickly, Booth." Brennan was very impressed. "Do you suppose I could learn those skills as well? Perhaps, if Angela has a child with Hodgins, she'd let me help out occasionally…"

"I'm sure she'd be glad to do that, Bones, and you're a quick learner. You'd pick things up in no time. Pretty soon you'd be able to take care of a baby all by yourself for a weekend...or maybe even longer, if you wanted..."

"Of course I could learn to take care of a baby...I am a genius, after all…", she sniffed impatiently.

"A genius who lets a baby wet all over her shoes…", he chuckled. "Right…"

"Nobody told me I needed to watch out for that…", she exclaimed. "How would I know that urine would travel that great a distance?"

He rolled his eyes at her excuse. "Oh, come on...you understand male anatomy...what did you think was going to happen when he got cold?"

"Well, now I know better...you put a washcloth over the genitals…"

"See? You've already learned something. You're brilliant, just like Wonder Woman." Seeing her smile, Booth was relieved that his plan to cheer her up had worked.

He listened happily as she nattered on about caring for babies and toddlers, hoping that someday she'd get to enjoy using her superpowers to raise a child of her own...

...and hoping that maybe, if he was lucky, she'd let him hang around long enough to help her with that.


	4. A Long Flight Home

_**A/N: This chapter references The Passenger in the Oven. I realize this conversation may seem really random, but, after all, they were drinking champagne...**_

_**If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura.**_

* * *

Halfway through a long flight home from China, Booth glanced over at his partner. They'd spent the last couple of hours discussing their most recent case and all of the imaginative ways they'd collected evidence from the plane, and she looked drowsy as she rubbed her eyes. "I guess it's nap time, huh?", he asked.

"Perhaps." She offered him a sleepy smile as she held up her champagne glass. "Or it could be that I've imbibed too much alcohol."

"Nah…I think maybe we needed a drink, okay?" Booth grimaced slightly as he sat back in his seat, trying to raise his footrest again. "It's not easy staying on a plane for this many hours, even if we are in first class. I mean, we didn't even get to leave the plane to stretch our legs before we left for home…"

"This plane is large enough to allow you to stretch your legs, if you so desire, Booth." Brennan giggled at his pretend scowl. "I believe you're feeling claustrophobic."

"I am not…" Grunting softly, he stared at his empty glass. "I'm just sorry that we flew all this way so you could see that old Chinese stuff, and then you didn't get to see it. I guess I really screwed that up for you, Bones...sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Booth. If I truly want to see those Chinese artifacts, I can afford to book another flight to China." She smiled at his annoyance. "I might even bring you with me, if you'd like to come."

"Well, that might be fun…" He cast a sidelong glance at her. "I still think you're getting bored working with me. I think you'd rather be looking for old stuff in some prehistoric garbage dump or something…"

"Booth…", she began quietly. "I am not bored...I enjoy the work I do on our cases very much. I'm glad you encouraged me to join you in doing field work. I find it to be intellectually stimulating."

"Yeah?" Hating that he'd given in to his self-pity, he shrugged a shoulder. "Well, you know, if you ever want to go dig some old bones up, that's fine with me...I'm sure the FBI will give you a break from your contract for however long you need." _Just promise to come back home..._

She contemplated his statement for a minute or two before clearing her throat. "I appreciate that, Booth, and I might consider your offer. You may not know this, but I didn't set out to be a forensic anthropologist. My first love was ancient remains...when I was a child, I wanted to be an Egyptologist."

"You liked the mummies and stuff, huh? What about the daddies?" He chuckled at his silly joke. "And all their little kiddies? Like ol' King Tut?"

Rolling her eyes at her partner, her lips twitched into a smile. "Yes, like Tutankhamun. When I was a little girl, I watched a movie called _The Mummy_ with my father, and I enjoyed it tremendously. My father, being a science teacher, encouraged my interests by allowing me to embalm a dead rodent that I'd found in the basement."

_Nice…_, Booth thought to himself. _I always knew Max was crazy… _Coughing softly, he tried to laugh. "Did it work? Did you preserve it for all posterity?"

"I don't know." Brennan sighed sadly. "We wrapped it in some cotton strips after we treated the body, and I put in a dry place in the basement, but then we had to move…"

"Oh." Booth poured them both another glass of champagne. "Well, I'm sure it was fine…"

She nodded as she sipped her drink. "I'm sure whoever lived in the house after us would've been quite surprised to find a mummified rat underneath the stairs."

"I imagine so.", Booth agreed. _Jesus...that would be a nasty surprise..._

Brennan grew pensive as she studied her nails. "When my parents disappeared, I felt helpless...being moved from foster home to foster home, with no way to try to search for them. No one seemed to care about finding them. It seemed like no one was even looking. So I decided that when I went to college, I'd study anthropology, but instead of studying ancient cultures, I'd study forensics, thinking that I could acquire the skills to look for my parents by myself."

Booth sat in awe of his partner. "You were gonna search for them all by yourself? You were what...eighteen? How would you even know where to start?"

"That was the problem...I had no idea about the logistics involved, but I was desperate...I wanted to try. It also seemed that forensic anthropology was a much more practical field of study, and, as I was concerned about becoming employed after graduation, I decided to focus on that." She turned toward the window so he wouldn't see her tears. "I know now that I wasn't prepared for the monumental task of searching for my mother and father. I simply didn't have the necessary resources at my disposal...until I began working at the Jeffersonian." She turned back towards her partner, regarding him intently. "It was there that I had the technology to do more research into their disappearance, and I also had the assistance of several friends, including you, Booth. I hope you realize how instrumental you were in my success in discovering what happened to my mother...and in helping me reconnect to Max, even though he may not be the best parent a person could have…"

"Well, that's part of my job, you know? Finding missing people." Feeling awkward under her intense gaze, he drained his glass and set it aside, hoping to change the subject. "So you never wanted to go back to the mummies, huh?"

"Actually, I did consider it briefly...well, not mummies specifically, but other ancient remains." Seeing Booth's surprise, she cocked her head to one side. "When Cam first came to work at the Jeffersonian, I found her to be extremely abrasive and difficult to work with, and I began to wonder if I should seek a different position. I get offers from different universities on a regular basis, so it wouldn't have been hard to find something interesting…"

"What? You were actually thinking of leaving?" _I knew it…I told Cam that..._

"There was an offer at the University of Heidelberg, and I would've been able to teach and also study several prehistoric Neanderthal sites...but I decided to turn it down. I felt that the work we were doing together for the FBI was too important to give up, even if I found Cam to be disagreeable. Of course, now I realize how foolish I was in my assessment of her, and I consider her to be a close friend." Brennan ran her fingers around the rim of her glass. "Please don't tell her that I considered leaving."

Booth was certain that Cam had known that there was a time when his Bones had been unhappy enough to leave the Jeffersonian, but he nodded in agreement. "Of course I won't say anything. What's ours is ours, right?"

"Exactly. Thank you."

Suddenly feeling restless, Booth fidgeted with his seat for a few minutes, trying to raise the footrest, before glancing at his partner. "I'm gonna go see if I can find us some snacks."

Returning in a few minutes, he tossed her some small bags. "Pretzels, biscoff cookies, and peanuts. I guess they didn't have time to restock the plane before we took off again."

"I'm sure we won't starve…"

"Yeah, well, when we get home, I'm gonna have the biggest steak dinner I can find." Grunting in annoyance at his seat, he got up and moved to sit next to Brennan. "Anyway, I figure after all that champagne we'll probably nod off here pretty soon and forget that we're hungry."

"So we're going to sleep together on the plane?" Brennan giggled at Booth's shock. "I made a joke…"

"Right." He shook his head at her. "Very funny."

"I thought so." Licking her lips, she glanced at him. "I was wondering if you'd explain something to me."

"Sure…"

"Why did you want me to look like a sexually alluring media specialist?"

Booth almost choked on his pretzels. "What? Oh...that."

"I found your request to remove my glasses and shake out my hair to be quite interesting." She smirked as she opened a package of cookies. "What did you have in mind?"

"Look, it's not like it's anything creepy, okay? I just remember watching old spy movies when I was a kid, and there was usually some female scientist that looked plain because she was wearing these big thick glasses...or maybe it was a mousy librarian with her hair pulled up and held in place with a pencil or something...and they'd take off their glasses and let down their hair and reveal themselves to be glamorous women…" Realizing how lame he sounded, Booth tried to apologize. " I know it doesn't make sense, okay? It was just a random thought...a spur of the moment suggestion. I was trying to be funny, but I guess it backfired, huh? I'm sorry if I offended you..."

"Oh, I wasn't offended, merely curious. I often enjoy role play during sexual encounters. After I had time to consider what you had suggested, it seemed as if you were trying to initiate such contact, but we weren't in a situation at the time where we would be able to follow through with it."

Booth swallowed hard at her blunt assessment. "I didn't mean it that way…" _Liar, liar...pants really on fire..._

She smiled to herself as her partner shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "And I'm sure you realize that the idea of smart women always being homely is quite outdated."

"Yeah, of course I realize that. I mean, just look at Cam and Angela...at you…" Booth cringed slightly. "You're all very attractive, very intelligent women…"

"So you think Angela is attractive?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so." Stammering nervously, he tried to appease her. "Look, Bones, you're right, okay? Smart women can be just as beautiful as dumb women. Satisfied?" Booth tried to concentrate on his peanuts, hoping she'd drop the subject, but it appeared that the champagne had made her chatty.

"I suppose you prefer to choose smart, beautiful women when you want to engage in sexual intercourse, correct? It seems that most of your former sexual partners have fit within those parameters. Of course, that would make sense, because intelligent women are often very creative lovers, open to trying new things with their partners…"

"I do like smart women, okay, Bones? I like a woman who can think for herself...one who can make her own decisions. So I guess you're right. I think smart women are sexy." He grinned as he popped some peanuts in his mouth. "What about you? Do you prefer smart men?"

"Because I'm a genius, it is often difficult to find a man as smart as I am…" She hesitated as she heard Booth's exasperated sigh. "However, I do like men who are of above average intelligence, who are brave and loyal, and who have excellent skills when it comes to understanding other people." She smiled as she patted his arm. "I like men like you...caring, thoughtful men who aren't afraid of being in a relationship with an intelligent woman. I very much appreciate what a wonderful partner I have in you…" Her voice trailed off quietly. "Just between us...you're very...good…the best..."

He leaned back into his seat and smiled. "Thanks, Bones. "I feel the same way. In fact…"

He might've told her everything he felt...that there was really only one smart, beautiful scientist that he was interested in...but he was interrupted by soft snoring. The champagne had finally done the trick and his partner was sound asleep, still clasping a cookie in one hand and her glass in the other.

He quietly set the glass aside and then covered his partner with a blanket before putting the footrest up on his own seat. Sighing softly, he tried to get comfortable for the rest of the long flight home.


	5. Rocks, Noises, and Aliens

_**A/N: X in the File is one of my very most favorite episodes of Bones, so I had to write a chapter about it for this collection. Again, it's random conversation, but I think that is normal for them...they ramble on about things. If you have time to leave a review, I'd appreciate it.**_

* * *

The sky was dark and filled with stars as Booth and Brennan sat on the hood of the car together in the desert outside of Roswell.

"What was that?", he whispered softly, looking out into the darkness nervously.

"What?" Turning towards the sound, she shrugged, apparently unconcerned. "Probably coyotes. I'm fairly certain they are the supposed 'orange eyed aliens' Mr. Breekman saw when he found the decedent's body on that rock formation."

Booth nodded his head, relaxing slightly at her explanation. "Yeah, you're probably right. That makes sense."

Glancing at him, Brennan's brow furrowed in confusion. "Are you okay? Is there a problem?"

"Nah...not a problem...not really." He gazed up at the stars, sighing as he tried to explain what he was feeling. "It just startled me, that's all. For a second there, it was like I was back in the desert in Iraq...you know, when I was stationed there during Desert Storm. We always had to be super aware of any strange noises we heard while we were on duty...we had to make sure no one was sneaking up on us. I guess that doesn't make much sense, since we're here in New Mexico, but..."

"Actually, it makes perfect sense, Booth, and given the circumstances of your deployment, it's quite understandable." She reached over to pat his hand. "You know you never have to be embarrassed about feeling that way while I'm with you, correct? After all, your training was deeply ingrained. Besides, I'm certainly in no position to judge. I'd be just as nervous if I thought I heard a rattle snake."

"Yeah, our training was deeply ingrained…more like pounded into our brains." Wanting to change the subject, he looked up at the sky again. "One thing I do like about being in the desert, though, is seeing all the stars at night. There must be millions of them…"

"Um, no...not millions. The number is more like somewhere between 4500 and 6000...in the Northern Hemisphere sky that is...the rest of what we see that look like stars are actually planets and other galaxies...the galaxies are so far away from us that they look small, but, of course, they are not…"

Booth glanced at her to see if she was teasing him, but she was just in her teacher mode, making sure he had his facts straight. "Oh, look...there goes a shooting star!", he exclaimed, pointing to the eastern horizon. "Make a wish!"

Rolling her eyes, she giggled at him. "Why would I want to make a wish on an object burning up in the earth's atmosphere? That seems to be counterintuitive."

He huffed out a disappointed sigh. "Never mind." His shoulders slumpled slightly as he leaned back against the car. "Life was a lot easier when I was a kid...I could watch Rocket Ship 7 and imagine going all over the Universe with Dave Thomas and the Sweetleys. Promo the Robot was so cool...we had such great adventures, you know? It was so much fun..."

"I miss some things from my childhood as well." Sniffling softly, she pointed out some constellations overhead. "See? There's Cassiopeia...the queen on her throne, and Draco, the dragon...Delphinus, the dolphin, which was my mother's favorite...she loved dolphins, you know...and Orion, the hunter...all cultures in the Northern Hemisphere have stories explaining the three stars that appear to be in a row together, although they're actually very far apart from each other. The ancient Greeks thought he was chasing the Pleiades with his dog, Canis Major, but some of the Native American cultures referred to it as a canoe chasing a large fish, or the spine of a bison…and of course, the Big Dipper is over there..."

Booth listened carefully, enthralled as she explained the stories that went with the constellations that were visible that night. Being a best selling author, she was an excellent storyteller, making the glowing groups of stars practically come to life as they danced across the night.

Finally she paused as she noticed how quiet he had become. "Booth? Are you asleep?"

"Nope. I was just listening to you talk. You did a great job explaining things about the stars, Bones. Maybe you ought to write a kid's book about constellations. I know Parker would like it."

She smiled shyly. "I have considered writing juvenile fiction, but I'm not sure my publisher would be happy about most of my ideas." She leaned closer as she whispered to him. "I want to write a story about a girl who is raised in foster care...about how she faces obstacles and manages to be successful…"

"I think that's a great idea, no matter what your publisher says, but why are you whispering? We're out here in the middle of nowhere. No one can hear you out here but me…and the coyotes..."

"I suppose you are correct, Booth. I'm just used to keeping those sorts of ideas to myself…"

"You know you can tell me anything, Bones, and it won't go any further, if you don't want it to, because…"

"What's ours is ours." She took his hand in hers. "I know. Thank you, Booth. It's nice to know that I can trust you so completely."

Caught up in the moment, it was all Booth could do to keep from kissing his partner as he looked into her eyes. It was such a romantic setting...out under the stars...alone in the dark...in the quiet of the desert…

And then she sneezed loudly. "I'm sorry...perhaps I'm allergic to sagebrush." She wiped her nose with a tissue and pointed to his watch. "What time is it?"

"Three AM. We might as well stay out here under the stars a little while longer, since it's such a nice night. It's not too cold, and our flight from Albuquerque doesn't leave until 10. It's a 3 hour drive there, and we can check in at the airport and have breakfast before we head home."

"I think that's an excellent idea. I always enjoy watching the sun rise over the desert. It's spectacular to see how the light moves across the landscape."

"So you like New Mexico, huh? Maybe someday we could come out here when we didn't have to solve a crime. This makes the second one, right? It was Angela's boyfriend the first time, and now this poor woman who was out looking for aliens..."

"Yes, that's true. The work that brings us out here isn't usually pleasant, is it? However, I do like New Mexico quite a bit. It would be very enjoyable to spend some time traveling through the desert and the mountains when we had more time. It's called the Land of Enchantment for a reason." She smiled at him shyly. "Anyway, except for the fact that someone was murdered, I enjoyed spending time with you one this trip...very much."

"Really?" Booth gave her a cocky grin. "You like the way I handled the case, right? I set that blogger straight..."

"You mean when the sheriff horned in on your arrest? Or when your gun was magnetically attracted to the MRI machine? Definitely...you handled things very well."

"Hey, you were the one who screamed when the body sat up...very loudly, if I remember correctly."

"It is a good thing that what's ours is ours, isn't it?" They both laughed before she continued. "What I meant was that we just enjoyed each other's company. Nobody made any comments about whether or not we were romantically involved or asked if we were a couple. I found that to be most refreshing. I"m not sure why people feel the need to label another person's relationship."

"I don't know...maybe to help them understand it? It is kinda nosy, isn't it?" Booth sighed as he wondered about what to label their relationship. He still wasn't sure... "Well, it was fun hanging out with you here in Roswell, looking for UFOs…"

"Really, Booth? I believe we've established that there were no UFOs involved in this case…"

"With this case...but I think they're still out there, just waiting to study us." He chuckled as he leaned against the car's windshield once again. "I'm gonna look for some right now. I bet the sky is full of them but they're camouflaged somehow..."

"Fine." Brennan sneezed again. "Good luck with that. Let me know if you find any."

"I'm sure you'd recognize them...they'll be friendly anthropologists...just like you...I bet they bring their kids to Earth's desert to collect rocks for their science class projects…"

"That is ridiculous, Booth…"

"Why? We have some pretty cool rocks here...just ask Hodgins…"

"Booth…why would aliens come to Earth? That's just silly. There's nothing special to see here…"

"Maybe the airfare is cheap…"

The partners continued to bicker and laugh together until pale fingers of light broke over the eastern horizon.

"Look at that...finally. It's gonna be a beautiful morning." Booth turned to Brennan and shrugged sadly. "I guess we'd better get on the road."

"Yes, I suppose so." Brennan climbed down from the car's hood and stretched before climbing into the front seat. "Next fall, let's come back…maybe we can go to Santa Fe and Taos. We won't tell anyone we solve murders...that'll be our secret, okay? We can just be regular tourists for a change..."

"Sounds like a plan, Bones." Booth nodded as he started the car and headed for the highway to Albuquerque so they could go back to their normal lives. "Definitely sounds like a plan."


	6. Lies and More Lies

_**A/N: Given the strong feelings Bones fans have about season 6, this chapter was difficult to write. After many failed attempts, this is what I've come up with.**_

_**I'm working with 3 assumptions: First, that Brennan, being pragmatic, moved past Booth's relationship with Hannah very quickly. Second, Booth, because of his religious beliefs, might feel lingering guilt for how his relationship with Hannah hurt Brennan, and third, that by the time they got to the episode called Pinocchio in the Planter, they were fairly well established as being an exclusive couple, and had acknowledged their feelings for each other.**_

_**Of course, as readers, you may have differing views, and so if you want to comment, you can always leave a review. Thanks. Laura.**_

* * *

Brennan smiled to herself as she worked at her computer that morning. The previous evening spent with Booth at The Founding Fathers had been quite enjoyable, and she was still savoring the memory. She felt as if they were finally together, on the same page as it were, and could soon move forward towards being in a romantic relationship together. Although she wanted to avoid rushing into things, she was feeling more confident in his feelings for her, and the sense of trust she had in his complete acceptance of her felt very pleasant indeed.

"Hey, Bones. You got a minute?"

She was startled to see the object of her musings at her door so early that day. Smiling, she waved for him to come in. "Yes, of course, Booth. Do we have a case?"

"No…" His voice trailed off as he paced nervously in front of her desk. "No, this is a personal visit. I need to talk to you about something private…"

Her brow furrowed in concern as she rose from her chair. "Alright." She closed the door and moved to sit on the couch, patting the seat next to her. "What's going on? Is this about Parker? Is Pops okay?"

"Yeah, they're both fine. It's nothing like that." Standing in front of her, he exhaled slowly as he fidgeted with the GA chip in his pocket. He hadn't anticipated that this confession would be so difficult, but when he saw the trust in her eyes, his courage seemed to fail him. "Look, I've been thinking about those 'truth at all costs' people a lot since we closed that case, and after I got home last night, I remembered something I needed to tell you…but I didn't want to explain it over the phone, so I've decided to tell you in person."

"Oh, you're finally going to admit that your Yeti story was also a lie?" She laughed softly. "Don't worry about that, Booth. I already know…"

"No, not the Yeti thing, but yeah...another lie. A big one." Tentatively settling next to her, he pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing this headache would just disappear...that his guilty conscience would leave him alone. "Um...so this is about a time when I made an actual decision to lie to you. Thinking about it kept me awake all last night." He shook his head sadly as he turned to her. "I don't want any secrets between us, okay? So I'm gonna tell you everything that happened, and it may hurt your feelings. In fact, it may make you so mad that you don't wanna see me any more, but I have to get this off my chest, okay?"

"Okay." She couldn't imagine what he was referring to that was causing him to be so agitated, but she nodded in agreement. "Go on…"

"So that night when I followed you...when it was raining so hard…when you went to find out how that doctor had died..." He paused, searching for the right words. "When you said...that you cared for me...and I told you that Hannah wasn't a consolation prize…that was a lie, because that's exactly what she was. I didn't have you, so I went with her as a back up plan. You were always my standard, but I settled for second best instead."

"Yes, I remember what was said between us, but I think you're being too hard on yourself." Brennan studied her nails, still feeling awkward about what had happened that evening. "I shouldn't have told you that I felt that way...not then...not when you were with Hannah..."

"That's where you're wrong, Bones. You needed to tell me the truth, whether I wanted to hear it or not. The problem wasn't with you that night...it was with me. I handled it so badly." Booth shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he reminisced. "I was really, really angry with you. I couldn't believe that you'd told me that when I was already committed to someone else. I'd waited so long for you to say that to me...and then it seemed like you picked the exact wrong time to say it…like you'd waited on purpose, you know? And the irony of the whole thing...it just...made me furious." Hearing her soft gasp, he tried to smile. "Totally irrational, right?"

"Perhaps, but, given the circumstances…"

Anxious to continue, he interrupted her. "Just listen, okay?" Booth reached over to take Brennan's hand. "I was feeling angry and upset, and it hurt a lot, so I lashed out. I wanted to hurt you back, so I chose to lie to you. I said that I wanted to be with Hannah, when in reality, I would've given almost anything to be with you that night." Sighing softly, he shrugged. "I guess I was trapped in a no win situation between the two of you. I mean, it never occurred to me that Hannah would follow me to the States, and when she did, well...I guess I felt like it was a sign that I should stay with her, even though I wanted you so badly…I still loved you..."

"Booth, it's okay…I realize now that I made the statement about my feelings at an inappropriate time…"

"It wasn't an inappropriate time, really. It was just that you made me see the ugly truth about my relationship with Hannah...the truth that I didn't want to see, and I chose to run away from it." Booth grimaced, avoiding eye contact with Brennan. "But that wasn't the worst thing I did. I mean, I did lie on purpose, which is bad enough, but then, I chose to break one of our partnership rules...I completely ignored 'what's ours is ours'. I'm so sorry, Bones..."

Surprised, Brennan gazed at him intently. "You did? How? Why?"

Booth closed his eyes, hoping he would be able to get through his explanation without shedding too many tears. "Well, it's kind of a long story. So when I chased Brodsky through that field, and he blew up his trailer, I got banged up pretty bad, right?"

"Yes, you did. It was foolish to go out to that acreage alone…"

Rolling his eyes, he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we've been through all that, okay? I was stupid. I get it. Anyway, with everything that went on that night, I never called Hannah to tell her what had happened to me. She didn't find out I was injured until she got home from London, and when she saw my bandages and my crutches, she was pissed. She made me promise that I would tell her everything about what happened to me at work, so I said I would."

"That makes sense. After all, you were in a committed romantic relationship with her…"

"True, but I still didn't tell her everything...I left out some of the details of our cases because I knew she'd be jealous of you when she found out how closely we worked together. She was suspicious about the amount of time I spent with you. I think she was beginning to figure out that she wasn't my first choice."

Brennan pursed her lips slightly as she thought over what he'd said. "So you lied to her as well?"

"Yeah. Turns out, I'm not a very nice guy...at least not an honest guy." He brushed away a tear. "You can do a lot better than me, Bones. Anyway, when I got home that night after I'd picked you up in that rainstorm, I was soaked to the skin, and I was still angry at you. I lay awake all night trying to wrap my head around what had happened...what to say to you...and to my girlfriend. Since it was late, Hannah was already asleep, but the next day, when she saw my damp clothes hanging in the shower stall, she wanted to know what was going on, so I told her…"

"You told her that I cared for you."

"Yeah, well...after trying to decide what to do, I told her part of the story at lunch that day." Blinking back tears, he looked into Brennan's eyes, dreading the next part of his tale. "I told her about what you felt about me, but I completely skipped over the part about what I had been feeling for you over the years. I made it sound like you were pining away for me...that you'd had a big crush on me for a long time...almost made it sound like you were chasing me. I guess I hoped that if I ignored my feelings they would go away, you know? But it didn't work, because my love for you kept bubbling up when I least expected it. I knew I was lying to Hannah...and to you...and to myself. Jesus, I screwed everything up so bad...and then to top it off, I went ahead and asked her to marry me...basically because Sweets dared me to. I mean, what was I thinking? And then, when she says no, I get blind drunk in a bar with no way home, and then I blow up at you when you came to pick me up. What a dumbass..."

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Brennan cleared her throat. "I also need to tell you something, Booth. I have lied to you as well."

"Don't even go there...I know you don't lie, Bones…"

"Oh, but I did. I told you that Hannah and I were friends, when, at the most, we were acquaintances. I actually detested her, but she was your mate, so I decided it would be appropriate to maintain some sort of relationship. I don't feel as if she was worth the effort I put into our friendship...not the way she hurt you. I found her to be condescending and obnoxious." Glaring at Booth, she continued. "I also picked out the bakelite phone that she gave you, since she had no clue about what sort of gift you would desire."

"I knew about the phone…that it was really from you…that's why I love it so much..."

Sniffling quietly, she puffed out a quiet sigh. "When I met you at the bar after Hannah had rejected your proposal, it wasn't a completely altruistic action on my part. I wanted to scold you soundly...I wanted to gloat...I had to resist the urge to say 'I told you so' at her rejection of you, although I did eventually feel somewhat sorry for you. You were quite drunk, and I knew you'd have a terrible hangover the next morning, so I took you home and got you ready for bed. I didn't tell you how much I enjoyed seeing you in your red silk boxers. I suppose you had a different ending planned for the evening...but I lied when I said it was just something a friend would do..."

"Bones…" Booth smirked slightly as he listened to Bones run down her list. "Listen…you don't have to tell me any more...I get it..."

Ignoring him, she continued, her words rushing out in a torrent. "I lied when I said that I understood your fear of clowns, because I don't...it is completely irrational. I lied when I said that I didn't find Walter Sherman attractive. He's not as attractive as you are, but he is a very handsome man, and if he'd asked me on a date, I might have considered going out with him. I lied when I said Valentine's Day was a silly holiday, which should be obvious, since I arranged for you to receive a gift that evening." She cleared her throat softly. "As you can see, I've lied about several things…things too numerous to mention, but I've never broken the 'what's ours is ours' rule. However, given the situation, I will forgive you, since I believe you did so under duress. Most likely Hannah threatened to withhold intercourse for a lengthy period of time unless you told her everything…"

"What?" Booth was scandalized. "Did she tell you that when you two went for drinks that night?"

"That's between her and me...and all the men who were with us at the bar. Anyway…" Brennan's lips twitched into a small smile. "I will be willing to overlook some of these lies and this broken rule under three conditions."

"Name it, Bones. Anything you want." Booth could hardly believe his ears. _She might actually forgive me!_

"The first condition is that you will never lie to me again. You must promise to tell me the truth, no matter how painful you perceive it to be."

"Okay." Booth nodded. "I promise not to lie to you ever again."

"The second condition is that you continue to uphold the 'what's ours is ours rule'. You may not divulge anything private that occurs between us without my permission, and I will reciprocate. I won't even tell Angela about your red boxers...or how good you look in them."

He shuddered at the memory. He'd thrown those undershorts away as soon as he'd had the chance. "You got it."

"The third condition is that you take me to dinner tonight and tell me the absolute truth about the Yeti."

"Aw, come on, Bones...a guy has to have some secrets of his own…", Booth protested.

She was amazed as she stood up from the couch. "You just promised not to lie to me!"

"Listen, what you gotta understand is that there's a difference between a lie and a tall tale."

"Well, I suppose Yeti stories would be tall tales, since Yetis are quite tall." She giggled as he pulled her back down onto the couch. "So will you take me to dinner anyway?"

"Of course." Booth put his arm around her and squeezed her gently. "After all, you are my favorite scientist…"

Laughing softly, she pinched his cheek. "Is that the truth?"

"Absolutely. No secrets between us any more. Only the truth from now on...and the truth is...I love you, Bones...I always have, and I always will."

She smiled tenderly as she leaned against him. "I love you, too, Booth."


	7. You Oughta Be in Pictures

_**A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews. They are appreciated.**_

_**This chapter recalls events from Memories in a Shallow Grave. **_

* * *

Still feeling drowsy, Booth stretched as he rolled over to look at the clock on the nightstand. 10 AM. Chuckling softly, he fluffed his pillow and closed his eyes, listening to the quiet morning as the minutes ticked by. He didn't give a damn about how late in the morning it was since he wasn't going to work that day, but he was getting hungry, having missed his normal breakfast.

However, being hungry wasn't enough to pry him out of his comfortable bed...not yet. He had a little bit of unfinished business to take care of with his partner.

Propping himself up on his elbow, he lay on his side, smiling as he admired Bones' nude form while she slept next to him. She'd thrown off the sheet after their last round of lovemaking, and now there was nothing to stop his eyes from gazing at her lush curves...the beautiful curves that belonged to him.

He loved her, of course...he knew that was the name of the emotion he was feeling, but it seemed so inadequate to describe what he actually felt. In fact, there were probably no words that could explain the depth of his feelings for her. He'd 'loved' many other women in the past, but never like this...not to where he felt it down to his very soul...to the core of his being. He was saturated with it...completely besotted, almost to the point of being as giddy as a sixteen year old boy with his first crush, and he didn't give a damn who knew it.

Sighing quietly, he watched her as she slept. She'd once told him that the concept of fate was silly, and there were many possible partners he could've ended up with that would've made him happy, but he knew that wasn't true. No one would ever make him feel the way his Bones did. She was the only one for him.

He laughed quietly once again, knowing she'd be very annoyed by his 'caveman' attitude, but he couldn't help it. She was right...he was an alpha male, and she was his woman, and now she was a part of his territory. She and the child she was carrying...they'd be his family forever. Nothing was ever going to change that. Yeah, maybe he'd try to be civilized...he might even try not to be pissed off any time another guy looked at her 'that way'...but it would all be for show. She was his now, and that was that. He smiled happily as she sighed in her sleep, knowing that, despite all of her protests to the contrary, she felt the same way about him. He belonged to her in the exact same way as she belonged to him. She loved him, too...

Groaning in her sleep, she turned towards him, and he gasped softly. Her breasts were always magnificent, but pregnancy had made them even more breathtaking. So full...such satiny skin...the pert pink nipples…so lovely...he wanted to cover them with kisses...

His eyes fell to her abdomen, where their child lay safely tucked away as she waited to meet them. At almost eight months pregnant, Bones was an incredibly beautiful woman, and the fact that she was carrying _his _child just added to her beauty. Her auburn hair was splayed enticingly over her pillow, begging to be entangled in his fingers. Brushing it away from her face, he noticed that her fair skin seemed to glow under the morning sunlight, and he couldn't resist the urge to touch her.

His fingertips gently traced a delicate line across her collarbone, and down the milky white skin between her breasts before he put his hand flat on her swollen belly, smiling at the little kick he felt against his palm. Their little girl was awake, it seemed, which meant her mama would need to get up soon as well, and it'd be time for him to fix breakfast for his little family.

His family...his very own family. How did he get to be so lucky?

Sighing in contentment, Booth bent down to kiss Brennan's lips. "Good morning, Bones. Are you awake?"

"Yes...and I've been enjoying your touch very much." She smiled at him with sleepy eyes as she caressed his cheek. "I was hoping to sleep longer, but your progeny seems to have been dancing on my bladder during the last few minutes. I need to use the bathroom."

"Okay...I guess I'll let you get out of bed for awhile." He grinned as he fondled her breasts. "But are you really sure you want to leave me here all alone? I can make it worth your while if you stay here with me..."

"I'm sorry…" She couldn't help but smile at his sad puppy eyes. Rubbing his shoulders, she shrugged. "...but I need to get up." As she turned to rise from the bed, she looked over her shoulder. "What are you doing, Booth?"

"I'm coming with you. We don't want you to fall in the bathroom, right? And then we can take our shower…"

"I'm perfectly capable of showering by myself, Booth. Pregnancy is not a disease." She pretended to pout. "Are you hovering over me like a crab whose mate has molted?"

"Yep." He gave her a sly grin. "And I think you're gonna like the special kind of hovering I'm gonna do for you in the shower…it's a very stimulating kind of hovering...the kind of hovering that makes you scream my name..."

"Hmm...in that case, you may hover all you want…"

%%%%%%%%%%

Forty-five minutes later, Booth stepped out of the shower stall and grabbed a nearby towel. Quickly drying off, he threw the towel at the hamper and made his way to the kitchen.

Brennan met him there a few minutes later. Her robe was tied loosely around her waist and her damp hair had been brushed away from her face. "That was certainly an entertaining shower.", she purred in a sultry voice. "Very enjoyable…"

He gave her a cocky grin. "Yeah, I thought so, too. Maybe we can go for round two later today." He pointed to a pan as it sat on the burner. "Hey, you want an omelet? I'm gonna have one...I'm hungry."

"Yes, but please use the egg substitute instead...and you can add the leftover tofu that's in the red container in the refrigerator, and there's also some kale in the vegetable bin."

"Yuck." Making a face, he put his omelet on a plate and began making hers. "You know, when we see Dr. Tran this afternoon, I'm gonna ask her if you being a vegetarian is good for the baby."

"We've already discussed this, Booth. If I am consistent in taking my dietary supplements, a vegan diet will not hinder our child's in utero development." She walked over to the kitchen's island to give him a hug. "You know I would never do anything to impair our child's health...and why are you naked?"

Looking down at himself, he shrugged as he cooked her food. "Well, I was in a hurry since I was hungry, I guess...and anyway, why get dressed if I'm just gonna get undressed again a few minutes later, right? I mean, our appointment isn't until 3…"

Smiling to herself as she pulled her phone from the pocket of her robe, Brennan furtively took her partner's picture as he stood at the stove before sitting down at the counter. "I think you had a very clever idea, Booth. I'm glad we both took a whole day off, even though our appointment isn't until later in the afternoon."

"I know, right? I mean, we have plenty of sick days, since we never call in sick, and I think we need to get in some extra 'us' time in before the baby gets here, because when she does, lazy days like this will be few and far between." He set a plate in front of her and joined her at the counter. "That's why we'll need to use our time wisely later on, too, you know? We can shower together every morning…"

She giggled as he quirked an eyebrow at her. "One of us will need to watch the baby while the other bathes...and anyway, it seems that when we shower together we don't use our time efficiently, Booth…we often spend much longer in there than we would if we were alone."

"I suppose it depends on what your definition of efficient is. I mean, if you just want to get clean, it's not...but if you want to make someone feel really, really good...I'd say showering together is very, very efficient…" He pointed to her plate. "Now come on...eat up. We're burning daylight. We've got a few more hours before we need to leave, and I don't want to waste a second…"

Loosening the belt on her robe, Brennan let it fall around her bare shoulders. "Well, then...I'd say it's time for you to be efficient again…"

She laughed as he gave her a throaty growl before picking her up and carrying her into the bedroom. "You got it, Bones…let's go be efficient."

oooooooooo

It was a few weeks later as Booth came home to his apartment one evening. "Hey, Bones…what did Dr. Tran say?"

"Everything is proceeding as it should be. It was quite routine. She feels as if the baby will arrive very close to the projected due date."

"Did you ask her about how much longer you could work?"

"She said I could work as long as I was comfortable." Hearing Booth's annoyed grunt, Brennan decided to change the subject. "How was your meeting at the Lab?"

"Oh, you know...same old stuff. You didn't miss anything. It was just to make sure everyone understood the updates on evidence protocols." He hesitated for a minute as he poured himself a glass of scotch. "It was weird though...Angela kept giving me these looks…and it was kind of awkward." Pulling at the knot on his tie, he grimaced thoughtfully. "If I didn't know better, I'd think she was checking me out, you know?"

"Oh…" Brennan giggled quietly. "That's probably because I've mentioned that I have a picture on my phone of you cooking an omelet in the nude. Remember? From our day off a few weeks ago? For some reason, she seemed quite anxious to see it…"

"OH MY GOD! You didn't show it to her, did you?" Booth was horrified. "I can't believe you took my picture when I was naked…"

"Well, I did...see?" She held up her phone so he could look at it. "I'm not sure why you're upset, Booth. You're physically fit and very well structured…"

"But why? Why would you want a picture of me like that?" He slumped next to her on the sofa and shook his head. "That's so embarrassing…"

"Why would it be any more embarrassing than a man having suggestive pictures of his significant other on his phone?"

"I don't have any suggestive pictures of you on my phone…" He paused, wondering if he needed to get a couple of them. "Anyway, you never answered my question. Why?"

"There are times when I want to remember what you look like. It's just like any other picture I might have of you, except in this one you're nude...and quite attractive. I find I prefer that picture of you over several of the other ones I have." She licked her lips as she gazed at the photograph. "Besides, as an alpha female, I may need to prove that I have a superior mate to maintain my status in my community."

"Jesus…", Booth sighed. "Please tell me you didn't show that picture to Angela…"

She shook her head, laughing as she pocketed her phone. "No, of course not. That picture is for my eyes only, Booth. You know...what's ours is ours. I have wonderful memories of that morning, and I don't want to share them with anyone else but you."

"Aw...that's so sweet, Bones." He gave her a peck on the cheek. "Smart, too, because I also have some pictures that you may not want me to show people. Remember when you fell between those crates of Egyptian vases at the lab and I had to come rescue you? I got a picture of you lying down on the floor, okay? And I seem to remember one morning when you were about four months pregnant...you tried to put on a pair of regular dress pants for work...you got them buttoned but the zipper broke a little over halfway up and you were stuck in them…the zipper wouldn't go up or down, and you couldn't get them off over your itty bitty baby belly..." He laughed at the memory. "You tried and tried…you got so mad..."

"And then you had to cut me out of them with a pair of scissors. Ha ha...very funny." She gave him a surprised glare. "You took a picture of that? I want to see it…" She tried to find his phone in his pocket, but he moved away from her.

"Nope...that's gonna be my insurance policy. If I hear that Angela gets to see my nude picture...because you know she'll blab about it all over the place if she does...if she does, then I have a picture of you being stuck in some slacks." Seeing her annoyance, he stuck out his hand. "So...truce? What's ours is ours?"

"I suppose that would be the wisest choice." She took his hand in hers. "Truce."

"Good. Now, let's get dinner going, so that we can make some more memories this evening, okay?" He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Are you feeling up to me hovering over you in the shower tonight? But no phones..."

She grinned broadly as she followed him into the kitchen. "I think some hovering is definitely in order this evening...without phones." She kissed him tenderly. "I love you, Booth".

"I love you, too, Bones."


	8. The Promotion

_**A/N: I really enjoy the Season 8 episode called Gunk in the Garage for some reason, so that was the inspiration for this chapter. **_

_**If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it.**_

* * *

After getting Christine settled down for the evening, Brennan joined Booth in the living room. She handed him a glass of scotch before curling up next to him. "You've been quite pensive this evening, Booth. Is something bothering you?"

He shrugged slightly. "I don't know...maybe?"

She pretended to glare at him over the rim of her wine glass. "We're not going to keep things from each other any more, remember? We're going to be honest and tell each other how we feel about things…"

"You're right. Okay...fine." Sighing softly, he put his arm around her and pulled her closer. "I saw Caroline at the office today, and she was pretty pissed about how I blew off that budget meeting presentation so that I could go help Sweets and Sparling take down the bad guy who blew up that parking garage. I mean, Cam did a great job with the numbers and all, but it seems like our friendly federal prosecutor was setting up that presentation as sort of a job interview so that I could get a promotion to Assistant Deputy Director or something like that. She was trying to do something nice for me, and she felt like I didn't appreciate her efforts on my behalf." Sipping his scotch, he grimaced slightly. "You know Caroline...when she's unhappy, she lets everybody know it, and she's not very quiet about it. She marched into my office today and gave me hell…she said I'd let her down, and that I should think about what I'm gonna do in the future, when I'm too old for field work…"

"That seems to be an unjustified reaction." Brennan shook her head in irritation. "I believe she should be glad that you were able to help Sweets and Agent Sparling bring in a dangerous criminal. As a Special Agent in Charge, arresting a suspected felon should be your primary focus."

"She was glad about that...she really was." Booth rubbed Brennan's arm as he continued. "I don't mean to make it sound like she was really hateful, because she wasn't. It was more like she was sort of looking out for me because we're friends, and I ignored the opportunity she'd given me." He chuckled softly. "I guess it's kind of how I feel when I try to help Jared by letting him know about jobs he might be interested in, and then he doesn't take advantage of the situation. I get why she'd be annoyed...I would be, too, if I was in her shoes…"

"Well, you're much more responsible than Jared…"

"Yeah, well, maybe not." Seeing her surprise, he shook his head. "I had a job to do, right? I mean, I hated it, but I was given a task...a responsibility...and I didn't complete it. I counted the markers, sticky notes, and file folders we used, but when it came down to the actual budget presentation, I pawned it off on Cam so I could go out to play…"

"But you weren't playing...it was a dangerous situation, and the two agents involved are both inexperienced. I think that's even more important than the budget. Things could've escalated rapidly if you hadn't been there to guide Sweets and Sparling." Brennan's brow furrowed as she thought about their most recent case. "And while I enjoyed working with Hodgins as we determined what had happened during the explosion, I much prefer working with you. If you received a promotion, that might put our partnership in jeopardy."

She pulled away from him slightly, studying him intently. "I thought we discussed this last night at dinner. You don't want to be stuck in an office, and your skill set is much better utilized in the field…"

"I know, but then today, Caroline pointed out just how much money I was going to lose out on if I stayed in my present position instead of taking the new job. You know, if you want to buy thousand dollar strollers…"

"...and propane grills…", Brennan chuckled. "Don't forget...baby girls need grills."

"...and grills, then I need to make more money." Booth grunted in frustration as he stared into his glass. "Parker's gonna need things when he goes to college...Christine is gonna need things like braces and bicycles...if we ever have another kid, he'll need things...it just never stops, and maybe I need to consider taking better paying job to keep up with that…"

Rolling her eyes, Brennan puffed out a slightly annoyed sigh. "Why do you insist on believing that you are the sole source of financial support for this family? I work, too, Booth, and I also receive excellent financial remuneration from my novels. We are financially sound, so we don't need any more income at this point in time...and please do not belabor your ridiculous fifty-fifty argument about our finances. That's such an outdated point of view. I'm committed to you as your partner, so I'm sharing my money with you."

"Bones…you just don't understand." He started to argue with her, but he saw her determined expression and realized it'd be a waste of time to spend the evening discussing it. "Never mind. You're right."

"Of course I'm right." Patting his knee, she snuggled close to him again. "What Christine and Parker need the most is a father who is satisfied with his own life. They will know if you're unhappy with your career, because your unhappiness would interfere with the other parts of your life, and eventually it would affect them adversely." Seeing that he understood, she continued. "If you wish to do something other than field work, why not see if you can get on at Quantico so you can train new agents? After hearing Sweets' story about what happened, it seems you have a real talent for that."

"True...and I think I might like that...it seems I do a lot of that, anyway…and I might make a little more money..."

"You've definitely taught me so many things, Booth." Sipping her wine, she grinned at him. "You're an excellent teacher."

"Nah...you're just really smart.", he chuckled as he kissed her gently. "So...I guess I'll call Caroline tomorrow, and tell her that after reconsidering her point of view, it's still 'thanks, but no thanks' as far as the promotion goes. Maybe I'll tell her that you won't let me accept it.", he teased. "That oughta go over really well, right?"

"Perhaps not. I already feel as if she disapproves of me, and I don't want to increase her disdain." Giggling as he kissed her again, she caressed his cheek. "However, I don't think you have to give her a reason as to why you don't want the job, do you? We've discussed it together, as couples should, and we've made a decision that best suits our family. As you've said many times, Booth, what's ours is ours, and we don't need to explain ourselves to anyone. No one else has to know our reasoning unless we want to tell them. In fact, it may be more prudent not to tell Caroline that we don't need the money, in case you're interested in another promotion that might become available."

"You're right." Laughing softly, he gave her another kiss. "Who knows? Since we have enough money from your books and the movie deals that come with them, maybe I'll quit the FBI and become a full time stay at home dad."

"Actually, that would be excellent idea, except for the fact that you would quickly become bored, which would lead you to tear apart the house, looking for things to repair in order to stay occupied."

"I would not! It'd be great, okay? I could cook dinner...play with Christine...do the laundry…vacuum..."

She giggled as she snuggled closer to him. "I think you'd last about a week before you'd want to go back to work."

"Nah...I'd be fine…", Booth retorted. "I could mow the yard…run errands...work on the Mustang..."

"And I'd come home to a grumpy mate every day…" Hearing his sultry chuckle, Brennan glowered at him. "You're teasing me again."

"Yep. You're right...I could maybe handle a week at home, and then I'd get tired of it and go stir crazy. I guess we'll just have to keep with the status quo for now." He leaned down to whiper in her ear. "However, there is something we do around the house that I'll never get tired of…" He waggled an eyebrow at her.

Arching her eyebrow at him in return, she took his glass from him and set it on the table. "I know exactly what you mean...housework can be quite enjoyable, although it's a little too late in the evening to get much cleaning done..."

"What? C'mon, Bones..."

"Let's start in our bedroom. Perhaps we should make sure all of our clothing gets put in the clothes hamper correctly…" Rising from the sofa, she grinned at him. "Are you coming?"

"You bet."

Booth smiled to himself as he followed Brennan down the hall. No promotion in the world was worth the happiness he had with his wife and kids. Maybe in a few years he'd consider doing something else, but for now…he was perfectly content with the way things were.


	9. Proposals

_**A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews. They are appreciated. This chapter is based on Nazi on the Honeymoon, but it references other episodes from the first part of Season 9. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.**_

* * *

Booth yawned and stretched, wondering if he was dreaming. He was stretched out on a lounge chair on a sunny beach, looking up at a bright blue sky as water lapped at the shore. Gentle breezes wafted over him as he sipped his drink under the palm trees. In the distance he could hear happy music and people laughing as they enjoyed the warm weather. And, to top it all off, his wife was sitting in the chair next to him.

"Yeah...that's right! My WIFE!", he said to nobody in particular. "I'm married to the most wonderful woman in the world!"

Stirring slightly in her chair, Brennan turned to him. "Booth? Who are you talking to?"

Her voice quickly brought him back to reality. "Um...sorry, Bones. I was just talking to myself, I guess." He reached over to take her hand. "But I meant it...you are the most wonderful woman in the world, and I'm so lucky to be married to you."

"I think perhaps, as my husband, you are somewhat biased as to whether or not I'm the most wonderful woman in the world." She grinned at his boyish laughter. "What's so funny?"

He sat back in the chaise, still holding her hand. "That after all these years of being friends, partners, and 'mates', I'm finally your husband...that somehow I got you to marry me. It makes me so happy. You know, there was a time when I didn't think this would happen…"

"Because of Pelant?"

He nodded slightly, focusing on his cocktail. "Oh, maybe...him and some other things. I mean, you seemed so dead set against it, and I wasn't sure if I could ever change your mind."

She ran her thumb over his wedding band. "I...I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing."

"I know...you're not impulsive. I get it." He chuckled as he lifted her hand to his lips. "What finally swayed you? It's because I'm wonderful, too, right?"

"I've already told you...it's convenient to have you around to help with Christine, or if I'm in need of sexual satisfaction, and I wanted to make sure you wouldn't wander off, so I decided we should enter into a permanent, legally binding partnership."

"What?" He sat up straight and glared at her. "It was a matter of convenience?"

She giggled at her silly husband. "Actually, it's because I love you very much. Is that better?"

"Yeah...I suppose so." He laughed softly. "You were teasing me…"

Proud of herself, she peered over her sunglasses at him. "I have gotten better at that, haven't I?"

He nodded, pretending to be impressed. Of course, he'd realized that she was teasing him all along, but it didn't hurt to let her feel like he was surprised. He grinned bashfully at her. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." She sat up in her chair. "What would you like to know?"

He hesitated slightly, not wanting to spoil the mood, but he was very curious. "So...um...did you tell Angela why I called off the wedding the first time around?"

"No." Her answer was succinct. "I was quite frustrated with her at the time, and I decided that it wasn't any of her business."

"Really? But she's your best friend." Booth was genuinely surprised. "I thought you told her everything."

"Normally that would be true, and at first I did tell her that I was worried about how things were going between us after you suggested that we call it off. Unfortunately, I listened to her advice instead of trusting you. It didn't help that her advice was confusing. She said you weren't going to strip clubs, but then she said that perhaps you were seeing someone else. She was very angry with you, Booth..."

"I didn't do either one of those things, Bones!" Booth was horrified. "I was working on getting Pelant...and I wanted to tell you everything, but…"

"But he had made some terrible threats, and you were afraid he would follow through with them. Yes, I understand that...now. At the time, however, it was difficult to comprehend, because I knew you were hiding something from me, which is not like you at all. You weren't acting like yourself, and because I wanted to discuss the situation with someone, I told Angela part of it. However, as you know, she has a tendency to jump to conclusions, and her conclusion was that either you were cheating on me or you were tired of me. I didn't consider those conclusions to be accurate, and I told her so, but she said was being blinded by my love for you. I'm embarrassed to say that we actually argued about it, but I suppose that's natural as well, given how frustrated we both were by the situation."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Booth sighed in frustration. "Look, I know it was awful for you…'

"It was, at first, but then, as you remember, I spoke to Aldo one evening at his bar, and he made me realize that if I'd trusted you so completely before the wedding was called off, I could continue to trust you afterwards. His statement was logical, Booth. You'd never done anything that had made me distrust you in the past, so it followed that I could trust you during a difficult time as well."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense, but why not tell Angela about Pelant? I may need her on my side some day, and I get the feeling she still thinks I'm a bum."

"What's ours is ours, Booth. Angela should be able to realize that if I trust you, that's all that really matters, and the rest of it is none of her business. She should just accept that I'm happy and be satisfied with that." Brennan smiled as she looked out over the ocean. "After all, I'm the one who married you, not her."

"You're right, Bones. It's none of her business." He gazed out at the water for a minute before clearing his throat nervously. "You know, I used to make plans about how I was going to propose to you…"

Surprised, Brennan turned to Booth. "Why? I thought you had operated under the assumption that I would propose to you."

"No...I mean, yes, at first I wanted to you to be the one to propose, and you did, which made me the happiest guy on the planet, okay? It was great...I mean, jerky and everything, right? I could hardly keep from acting goofy. Even Sweets commented on it when he saw me later." He wore a wide smile as he remembered that afternoon. Shrugging a shoulder, he turned towards her, hoping she'd understand. "I was talking about after I got rid of Pelant and things were in the clear. I figured I'd have to be the one to bring up marriage again, and that I might have to sweet talk you a little bit, since I had been such a jerk about breaking our engagement." His eyes met hers, and he was relieved to see the love in her expression. "I planned where we would go, and what I'd say...you know, somewhere romantic, with music and flowers and all...but when I saw you standing there in that old power plant that night, after I killed that bastard...and you were okay...and it was finally over...well, I couldn't wait anymore to find out the truth. I just had to make sure he hadn't ruined everything, you know? And I know it was kinda weird that everybody in the lab got to see something that should've been just between us, but...I had to know that you were still gonna be my wife." He exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry, Bones. You deserved more than that…you deserved the genuine article...a real proposal..."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I was going to remind you about your answer to my proposal on the way home. I wasn't in the mood to wait, either" She laughed softly as she caressed his face. "I think your proposal was quite romantic, Booth. I felt the urgency behind your request...and I have to admit, knowing how desperately you wanted to marry me was quite thrilling." She licked her lips as her eyes roamed over his muscular body. "It was very...stimulating as well. You know, we are on our honeymoon…"

He snickered at her blatant suggestion. "It was, wasn't it? And I'm actually feeling a sense of urgency now, if you know what I mean…shall we adjourn to our room, Wife?"

"An excellent idea, Husband."

They rose from their chairs and gathered their belongings. Stopping for a kiss, they walked hand in hand to their room so they could once again savor being married to the person they loved the most.


	10. Letter of the Law

_**I always feel like the young man in Lost Love in a Foreign Land was a victim of circumstances, so I used my imagination to fix that. I have no idea how immigration laws really work, but it is fiction, after all.**_

_**If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura.**_

* * *

It was late when Brennan awoke suddenly, for no apparent reason. Checking the clock on the nightstand, she saw that it was 1 am. Somewhat surprised, she rolled over to snuggle with her husband for a few minutes, but his side of the bed was empty, and the sheets were cool under her delicate touch. Frowning slightly as she wondered where he was, she climbed out of bed and quickly pulled on her robe.

She walked quietly through the darkened house, not wanting to wake her daughter. As she reached the family room, she saw the lamp was still lit next to Booth's favorite chair.

"He probably fell asleep reading.,"she said to herself. "I hate to wake him, but that chair isn't suitable for his back…he'll be quite sore in the morning if he sleeps there too long..."

It wasn't unusual for Booth to get up in the middle of the night if he was bothered by something, and their latest case had been emotionally draining for both of them. He was probably exhausted, but, being concerned about disturbing his wife with his restlessness, he'd decided to try sleeping somewhere else. Smiling indulgently, Brennan walked over to the chair and put her hand on his shoulder. "Booth? Come to bed…"

"Hmm?" He hastily wiped tears from his face. "Oh...I'm sorry, Bones. I didn't mean to wake you up…"

"You didn't awaken me. I woke up by myself, it seems, but when I reached for you, you were gone." Noticing his tears, she frowned slightly. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"I don't know...nothing? Everything?" Sniffling slightly, he stared at the beer bottle in his hand. "It's hard to explain."

"Well, since I'm awake now, perhaps you should try to do so. I'd be glad to listen." She sat down on the arm of the chair. "This case has been very stressful for both of us. It's hard to imagine that people can be so cruel to other people…just to make money..."

"And that's just it, right? People are so goddamn cruel!" He slammed the bottle down on the table next to him, bristling with anger. "You know what, Bones? I've dedicated my life to making sure that the bad guys get caught and brought to justice, okay? And we're gonna do that...we're gonna put away those two lousy people who sold those women into slavery…Alex said they're both going away for a very long time."

She nodded as he collected his thoughts. "But that's not what's bothering you…"

"No, it's not. I hope they rot in jail and then burn in Hell. They deserve it." He heaved a trembling sigh. "But that poor guy...you know, the construction worker? He's the real victim here, right? I'm not sure what I think about him. I mean, his fiancee is dead...he's here illegally...when they send him back home, things will go bad for him, and here I am...I'm an FBI agent, right? I gotta uphold the law, whether or not it stinks, because that's what I've sworn to do. So after all these years...and I've made all this effort to do the right thing, and for what?" He sank back into his chair. "I'm just as cruel as they are. I'm gonna enforce the law, right or wrong, without saying a word, because that's my fucking job! And that guy will be shipped back to China, and his life will basically be over before he has a chance to live it. I mean, even if they let him off with hard labor, he's lost everything, so how am I any better than those two monsters are?"

"Booth, you are a good man." Brennan moved to where she was facing him as he sat in the chair. "None of what happened was your fault. Surely you know that. You've done everything you could to help those women as well as Mr. Park. The guilty parties are those who traffick in human beings, and without someone like you to enforce the laws, not only would they get away with it, but others would be emboldened to commit the same crimes."

"Yeah, I know. That's what Alex said, too. Score one for the good guys, right?" Booth picked up his beer bottle again, picking at the label as he thought things through. "In my head, I know you're right, Bones, but in my heart…"

Her brow furrowed as she interrupted him. "In your heart? How can you know anything in your heart, Booth?"

"Just go with it, okay?" He smiled weakly as he patted her hand. "When that fella said 'she was my heart' about his fiancee, it just about made me cry right there in the interrogation room. He was so broken, Bones, and it made me think, you know…"

"Yes, you've said since then that his statement made you realize how fortunate we are. I know." She gently rubbed his arm, hesitating slightly before continuing. "Booth, I need to tell you something."

"Jesus...I hate it when you say that." He gazed into her eyes and smiled. "What is it this time?"

"Well...as you know, Sung Park's case is not directly related to the case we were working on."

"I suppose that's true...they won't process his deportation based on the evidence we're using against Victor Lin and Sandra Zins. Alex said they were waiting to see if they needed Park's testimony since he was brought here by human traffickers as well, but it appears to be two separate groups running the illegal operations."

"Exactly." Brennan ran her fingers along the arm of the chair, avoiding her husband's intense expression. "In fact, Mr. Radziwell told me that there is a backlog of immigration cases, and Mr. Park's hearing may not occur for several weeks."

"Okay…" Unsure if he liked where the conversation was going, Booth narrowed his eyes at his wife. "Why did you talk to Alex? What did you do?"

"I have arranged for an immigration lawyer to speak with Mr. Park, to see if there's a better way to adjudicate his case. I'm not entirely sure how the immigration laws of our country work...but if anyone deserves a second chance, it would be Mr. Park. It may be that he can request asylum here in the US since he was the victim of a crime…"

"And it may be that Caroline will blow a gasket when she finds out what you have in mind. Seriously, Bones? It could fuck up the whole human trafficking case we've got going if your name is associated with something like that…it's a huge conflict of interest."

"Well, while I believe your statement to be an excellent example of hyperbole, I have taken certain precautions to avoid being connected with Mr. Park's situation. When I contacted the attorney, I stipulated that I would pay the fees, but that I must remain completely anonymous. I haven't told anyone else...except you." Seeing her husband's stony expression, she quickly explained. "I couldn't stand by and let that poor man be deported without legal representation, Booth. I wasn't trying to go behind your back…I just hadn't had time to tell you."

He stared at his beer for a moment, running his thumb across the torn label. Of course she'd done that. Her big heart was always open to the weak and the oppressed. She couldn't stand to have any form of injustice prevail. That was one of the many things he loved about her.

"I see." He nodded slightly. "Well, the fewer people who know about that, the better. I guess this is one of those 'what's ours is ours' deals, right?"

"I suppose so."

"And you won't testify, right, Bones?"

"Absolutely not."

Pondering over the situation, Booth finally shook his head. Nothing he could say would ever convince her that contacting an immigration lawyer for Mr. Park was a crazy idea. Anyway, she could afford it, and she was right...maybe it would be a chance for things to get better for Park. "Well, I know I can't change your mind, but please make sure our names stay out of any court proceedings, okay?"

"Of course." Brennan caressed Booth's cheek before giving him a kiss. "Shall we go back to bed?"

"After you, Bones." Draining his beer, he pushed himself up from his chair, grinning to himself as he followed his wife to the bedroom.

No matter what happened with Mr. Park's case, Booth was comforted with the knowledge that his Bones was going to try to fix things. It made him so proud to call her his wife.

She was his heart, and he was a very lucky man.


	11. A New Marshal in Town

_**A/N****: Cowboy in the Contest is one of my favorite episodes of all time. I love competitive Booth and Brennan.**_

* * *

After putting the dry cleaning away in his closet, Booth paused, sighing wistfully as he reached for something on an upper shelf. Pulling a box down, he opened it, smiling to himself. There it was...his pride and joy. All of his boyhood dreams...summed up in one cherished article. It was beautiful...snowy white, just sitting there waiting for him...

He gently removed the cowboy hat from the box and put it on before walking into the bathroom to check out his reflection. Grinning to himself, he ran his fingers around the wide white felt brim before nodding at the image. "Howdy, partner."

Adjusting it a bit so it was sitting at a better angle on his head, he glared at the man in the mirror. "I'm Sheriff Buck Moosejaw...I run this here town...me and Marshal Dillon are the law in Dodge…" His eyes narrowed as he imagined the palaver he might have with some ornery hombre. "Smile when you say that, cowboy…"

"Booth? Who are you talking to?" Brennan walked into the bathroom carrying an armful of freshly laundered towels. "And why are you wearing your cowboy hat?"

"Oh." Slightly embarrassed, Booth took it off and put it on the counter. As he ran his fingers through his hair, he shrugged, avoiding eye contact with her. "I...um...I saw the box, and it reminded me of when we were undercover at that cowboy competition, so…"

"Booth…" Smiling at his chagrin, Brennan chuckled as she picked up the hat. "...were you pretending to be a cowboy like those that are portrayed in old television programs?"

He waved off her question as he walked back into the bedroom. "Maybe, not that there's anything wrong with that…"

"True, but I'm sure Aubrey would be interested in knowing that you were wearing your undercover cowboy hat and talking to yourself in the mirror while using gunslinger terminology…"

"You're not gonna tell him, are you?" Booth rolled his eyes in irritation. "Geez, that's all I need…you know he walks around the bullpen singing cowboy songs now, right? Don't encourage him..."

"No, of course I won't tell him. You should know better than that.." Furtively putting her phone in her pocket, she sat down on the end of the bed, patting the spot next to her, and hoping that he hadn't noticed that she'd taken his picture while he was wearing the hat. "What's ours is ours. If you want to pretend to be a cowboy in the privacy of our own home, that's fine with me."

"Yeah...thanks, I guess." He sat next to her and took the hat from her hands, studying it carefully. "I suppose lots of kids want to be cowboys when they're small, right? I know I did. Pops loved to watch those old westerns on TV, you know? He was always looking for reruns of Gunsmoke to watch on Monday night. He'd sit in his chair and I'd sit on the couch, and we'd watch as Marshal Dillon saved the day. He always got the bad guy…"

"Do you think that helped spur your interest in law enforcement?"

"Hah...I see what you did there, Bones...spur...like riders...on horses…to make them go faster...oh, never mind." Seeing that she didn't understand why he thought her question was funny, he cleared his throat before continuing. "Anyway, I don't know if it influenced me...maybe. I mean, in a lot of westerns, the main characters are drifters, but Matt Dillon was happy to stay in Dodge City and take care of the town. I think I liked that idea, too. He was settled in one spot."

"With Miss Kitty." Brennan nodded as she patted Booth's knee. "Marshal Dillon had structure and caring friends in his life, and you needed that security...the structure and security you got from your grandparents."

"Yeah, I did." Booth grinned as a happy memory crossed his mind. "You know, Philadelphia has mounted police officers, and one day Pops took me out to the stable where they kept their police mounts. One of his buddies worked there, and so I got to see the horses up close and in real life. I'd never been that close to a big horse like that before and I thought it was so cool...I was about twelve, and I still remember that I was wearing my black cowboy hat and some beat up boots to the stable so I could look like I knew what I was doing. I couldn't imagine anything better than seeing how they did everything with the horses, until they let me get up on one of them and Pops led it around the paddock for awhile while I rode it. I swear, I thought I was Matt Dillon riding in a posse to chase down the bad guy. It was so much fun...one of the best days of my life…" He reached for his wallet and pulled out a tattered piece of paper. "Look...here's our picture together from that day...I still carry it around with me. It's such a good memory."

"That does sound like fun." Brennan smiled as she looked at the faded photograph of a young Booth and his smiling grandfather. "I like your black hat, but I think the white hat looks better on you."

"Why? Because I'm one of the good guys?" He chuckled as he put it on. "I do like this hat. I'm glad the Bureau let me keep it...not that I'll wear it all that often…"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe we can take Christine horseback riding one afternoon and you can wear it. I'm sure she'd like that."

"She probably would. It seems little girls love stuff like that."

"They do." Brennan snuggled against her husband. "And if I remember correctly, you know what big girls like as well."

"Well, yeah...I do as a matter of fact." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "You know, if you want, we can indulge in a little bit of role play tonight, but instead of Buck and Wanda, I could be Marshal Dillon and you could be Miss Kitty…"

Brennan giggled slyly. "Or, because I'm a better shot than you are, I could be Marshal Dillon, and you could be…"

"You are not a better shot than me." Unhappy with her teasing, Booth interrupted. "And I am not gonna be Miss Kitty…no way."

"Actually, I was going to say you could be Festus. He was one of the marshal's sidekicks, and there is a slight resemblance between the two of you..." She chuckled as he pretended to glare at her. "What?"

"I won that cowboy contest fair and square, and you know it…"

"But, unfortunately for you, I was named the winner. After all, you were disqualified for fighting…"

"I was fighting as part of the job we were doing! We were supposed to be working undercover, remember?" Pouting a little bit, Booth flopped back onto the bed. "No fair…"

She laughed as she stretched out beside him. "Do you think this is how Marshal Dillon would act if he didn't win something? Would he be unhappy because Miss Kitty or Chester beat him in a contest?"

"Maybe, if he felt like he'd been cheated..." Laughing loudly, Booth quickly wrapped his arms around her as she squealed in surprise. "...or maybe not, but it looks like I'm in control now, right? I just need to get my lasso…I'll hogtie this little heifer, and I'll win..." He was breathing heavily as he looked into her laughing blue eyes. "See? I came out on top after all..."

Things were about to get very interesting when suddenly they heard Hank begin to cry. Brennan propped herself up on her elbow. "He's probably hungry. Actually, dinner will be out of the oven in a few minutes, so you may want to wash up…"

He nodded, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Okay...but remember...I'm gonna be Marshal Dillon tonight...and he always wins."

Brennan laughed as she rose from the bed and picked up the white hat from the floor. "I can't wait to see what the prize will be...if you actually earn it." She put on the hat and turned to Booth, arching an eyebrow at him as she sauntered towards the door. "I hope I like it."

"I'm sure you will." He laughed softly as she left the room, satisfied that he'd get what he wanted soon enough. It looked like Marshal Dillon was definitely going to have an enjoyable ride later than evening. However, he couldn't resist one last dig.

"And...no matter what you say, Bones...I won that damn cowboy contest!"


	12. Memories

_**A/N: thanks for all the kind reviews. They are appreciated.**_

**_This chapter takes place after the final episode of Bones. After doing some reading on the subject, it seems that people who have concussions can have some lingering issues with memory, so even though it's not exactly canon, I've decided to approach this chapter with that in mind. Also, there's no way I could improve on Booth's beautiful speech to Brennan in that episode, but the sentiments are still the same._**

**_There will most likely be one more chapter in this series. I hope to post it soon. Laura_**

* * *

It was after 1 AM when Booth's eyes popped open suddenly. As he lay in his darkened bedroom, he tried to figure out what had roused him from his slumber. Had he heard something suspicious outside? Listening for a minute, he decided it was nothing. Sighing deeply, he rolled over to put his arm around his wife...but she wasn't there. He sat up in bed, wondering if she was in the bathroom, but there was no light shining from under the door. So where was she?

It wasn't unusual for him to wake up at odd hours during the night...a random nightmare might strike when he'd least expect it, and he'd find it hard to go back to sleep. His wife would occasionally have nightmares as well, although, thankfully, the bad dreams had become less frequent since they'd been together as a couple.

However, with all of the events surrounding the explosion at the lab and the havoc caused by Mark Kovacs, the last month had unsettled her, occasionally affecting her sleep patterns. She was also still dealing with some of the residual effects of her severe concussion, but, for the most part, things were back to normal. At least Booth thought so, but now she wasn't in bed next to him. Throwing back the covers, he went to look for her.

She was sitting at the kitchen counter, sipping from a cup of herbal tea. As she set the cup down, he heard her sniffle slightly as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

"Bones? Are you okay?"

Startled, she lurched slightly before turning to him, embarrassed that he would see her tears. "I'm fine…"

"No, you're not." He sat down next to her, grimacing as he moved the smelly cup of tea to one side. "You've been crying, so please tell me what's wrong, okay? Don't you feel good? Are you having another headache?"

"I feel fine physically...and mentally...sort of." Chewing her lip slightly, she glanced at her husband and realized that she couldn't hide anything from him...he knew her too well. "I awoke about an hour ago. I guess I'd had a bad dream, because I was feeling...odd...and disturbed about something. I suppose that's the best way to describe it. It was like I should be remembering something, but I didn't know what it was."

He nodded. "Yeah...I've had that weird feeling before…"

"I know." She smiled faintly and patted his hand before continuing quietly. "Sometimes when I can't sleep I focus my thoughts on bones...not just the names of the bones themselves, but all the tubercles, notches, and foramina as well...the places where the ligaments, tendons, and muscles attach to the bones…where the nerves and blood vessels intersect them.."

"Wow...that's a lot of fancy science names, right? That would definitely make me fall asleep." He rolled his eyes as he got up to pour himself a glass of milk. As he turned back to her, he was surprised to find that she was very upset. "What?"

"Booth, I couldn't remember where the greater trochanter was! I wracked my brain...I thought and thought...I could see the words in my head, and it was like an entire skeleton was standing in front of me, taunting me, but I couldn't remember what bone it was on. It made me so angry...I was furious at myself, because I knew its location should be so obvious to a forensic anthropologist with my experience...and I knew I had to find out the answer to my question or it would bother me enough to keep me awake all night, so I got up and came out here to look it up on my laptop."

Booth shrugged as he sipped his milk. "Okay...so what's the problem? That's why we have the internet, right? To look stuff up?"

Brennan slammed her fist on the counter. "The problem is that it's on the femur! It's on the largest bone of the body, and I couldn't remember that! That's basic anatomy, and I couldn't remember!"

"Whoa, Bones...there's no need to be upset, okay? So you forgot something…"

"It's not just 'something' that I forgot! Don't you see? It's everything!" She paused as she brushed away more tears. "It's my life's work, Booth! It's what I do everyday! It should be second nature to me...like walking or breathing, but ever since my head injury, I can't remember, and I've had doubts as to whether or not I could continue in my career, because I can't recall the most basic facts...facts I need to do my job!"

"Bones…", he began softly. "It's going to be okay…"

Her eyes blazed as she shook her head. "I recognize that tone, Booth. Don't patronize me! You have no idea how frustrating this is! I can remember some very complex things...just like when I remembered what to do when you were injured that evening while we were hunting for Mark Kovacs...but then other, more basic things...things I've known for years...I simply can't recall. It's infuriating!"

Booth waited patiently as she reached for her tea cup, silent as she tried to gather her thoughts. He knew what she was experiencing, but it was important for her to articulate it for herself. Finally he cleared his throat. "Listen, Bones…"

"No...no, I'm not going to listen to you tell me 'you'll be fine' when I know it's not true. I don't need empty platitudes." She sipped her tea with a shaky sigh. "I may never be 'fine', Booth. My memory may be permanently damaged." She raised her eyes to look at him, knowing he didn't deserve this onslaught of heated emotion, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. "While I've been home recuperating from my injuries, it seemed logical that I should use my time constructively, so I decided to begin a new novel. Unfortunately, I've had difficulty starting it because I'd forgotten many simple character details about Kathy and Andy, so I looked through my files for ideas...through my notes and outlines...and it's like someone else wrote them…it's all so foreign...so many things I can't recall….the information seems lost." Staring at the counter, she ran her fingers along the rim of her cup. "What am I going to do, Booth? It's like everything that I was has disappeared…that I'm no longer the person I used to be..."

"Bones…" Booth walked around the counter and took her into his arms, stroking her hair and whispering tenderly as she sobbed. "Why didn't you tell me you were having so much trouble with your memory?"

"I suppose I wanted to believe it was improving. It should be better by now. I just assumed it would resolve itself, but it hasn't...and now I think it may never get better..."

"Well, you know, you had your bell rung pretty hard in that explosion, so you can't rush things…it's gonna take some time. I know it's hard to be patient, but..."

"Bell rung?" Wiping her teary eyes, she looked up at him quizzically. "I don't understand…"

"It's an old boxing term. Never mind." Booth smiled as he gently brushed her hair away from her face. "Look...I know how frustrating...and how terrifying...it is to realize that you should know how to do something but you just can't remember. That's how I felt for months after my brain surgery. I couldn't remember ordinary things like how much I enjoyed my Cocky belt buckle, or what I ate for breakfast, or even how to interrogate criminals, and I thought I was gonna go nuts, okay? But you know what?"

"What?"

"I had a lot of help. I had the most loyal, patient, caring person I've ever met by my side every step of the way throughout my recovery. I had someone who helped me make sense of what I was feeling...someone who eased my mind when I got worried…someone who made me realize that I was going to get past all the bumps in the road and be almost as good as new, if not better...someone who never gave up on me, even when I felt sorry for myself...even when I was a pitiful bastard to deal with...even when I almost gave in to my worst fears. Do you remember who that someone was?"

She stared at him for a few seconds before breaking into a wide grin. "You're talking about me."

He laughed out loud. "Of course I am! So now it's my turn to help you, alright? Me and you are gonna get through this little memory glitch thing together, okay? What's ours is ours, and that means if you have a problem, I do, too." He shrugged a shoulder at her. "And anyway, even if you do forget stuff from time to time, that doesn't change who you are...not to me. You're my beautiful, wonderful wife...you will always be that same person I fell in love with all those years ago..the one I love the most, okay? And I'll never let you forget that, no matter what happens. So what d'ya say? You're gonna let me help you with memory stuff and whatever else you need, right?"

Brennan sat quietly for a few seconds, thinking over what Booth had said. "Yes, you can help me." She got up to put her cup and his glass in the dishwasher. Smiling sheepishly, she shrugged as she turned to him. "I'm sorry I raised my voice at you, Booth. I know my memory issues aren't your fault, but I've been so angry lately...so aggravated...and my feelings spilled out…"

"Hey, no problem. I'm a big boy, and I can take it, okay? That's what I'm here for...to help you deal with your anger or your fear, or whatever else is bugging you." He winked at her as he caressed her cheek. "If I remember correctly, I've been pretty nasty to you from time to time, like when I've been been laid up in the hospital after getting shot or something..."

"Hmm…", she said with a smirk. "I don't recall that ever happening." Giggling, she put her arms around him. "Since you're going to help me remember things, I think right now I'd like you to remind me how much we love each other. Do you think you're up to that? It is late…"

"It's never too late for me to help my wife with her memory issues. Let's go back to bed…"

"An excellent idea…"

Sighing softly, Booth turned off the light and followed her to their bedroom. It might take a while for them to adjust to her memory issues, and while he hoped those issues wouldn't be permanent, in the long run, it didn't really matter.

As long as he had her, his life would be wonderful. They could make some more memories together, and, if necessary, he'd remember enough for both of them.


	13. The Gift

_**This is the last chapter of my story, and is set some years after season 12. The idea might seem like a stretch, but that's part of the fun of fan fiction.**_

* * *

All of the evening's party guests had left, and the house was finally quiet as Booth loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher and started it. He smiled as his wife entered the kitchen. "Are the kids asleep? I know they must've been worn out after chasing each other around all night."

"It seems they fell asleep as soon as they got into bed, although I'm not sure that's possible." Smiling broadly, Brennan gave her husband a kiss. "Thank you for my birthday party. I think everyone had a good time. I enjoyed it tremendously, too, especially since it marked such an important milestone."

"I know, right? So now you're fifty…" He arched an eyebrow at her before enclosing her in his embrace. "Got any big plans? Is anything left on your bucket list? I mean besides the two of us retiring to a quiet beach cottage somewhere far, far away..."

She hesitated for a few seconds as she gazed into his warm brown eyes. "Not really. I think my bucket is quite full." Laughing as he groaned at her silly joke, she took his hand and tugged gently. "I want us to go sit on the couch, please…"

"Okay. Are we gonna make out?", he asked hopefully, waggling an eyebrow at her as she poured him a glass of scotch.

Her eyes twinkling with delight, she shrugged. "I'm sure that sort of activity will occur sometime this evening, but at this moment I have something else in mind." She handed him his drink and pointed to the sofa. "Sit down and close your eyes."

"What? Why? Hey, am I in trouble? Didn't you like the gift I got you?" He pretended to sulk as he shut his eyes tightly. Hearing the rustle of paper, he turned toward the sound. "No fair! You know I don't like stuff like this! What's going on?"

"My goodness. You are so impatient." She giggled as she sat down next to him and put a box on his lap. "Okay...you can open your eyes now…"

Booth set his glass on the end table and picked up the box. "What is it?"

"Why don't you open it and find out?" She laughed as she watched him study the carton cautiously. "Nothing is going to jump out at you…"

"Alright…if you say so." He lifted the lid and peered inside. "Hey...this looks like a manuscript." He ran his fingers over the front page. "_Murder at The Lab." _His brow wrinkled in confusion as he turned to her. "I don't get it. Why are you giving me the manuscript for your latest novel?"

Slightly annoyed that he hadn't gotten farther than the first page, Brennan lifted the book out of the box. "This isn't a Kathy and Andy story, Booth. This is something more...personal." She suddenly felt shy as she tried to explain what she meant. "This is a story about us...you and me. It's...it's what I was writing while you were having your coma dream…"

"...but you said you deleted it...that it was lost…" Booth was still confused. "How did you…"

"Well, let me explain." She sighed softly as she thumbed through the typed pages. "When I was writing this story while I sat with you in your hospital room, I was talking to you at the same time, remember? I kept hoping you were hearing me, and it appears that some part of your brain understood what I was saying. That's why you dreamt the way you did during your coma...it was kind of like directed dreaming. I would read you a sentence or a paragraph, and your mind would act it out using people you knew as characters in the story."

"Yeah, I get that. It was kinda weird, but Sweets explained it to me…"

"Right. And, of course, you're also aware that I have an eidetic memory…"

"I know...some of the stuff you remember just amazes me." He nodded as he sipped his scotch, still trying to figure out what his wife was getting at with her random statements. "But...um…"

"But what does all that have to do with this book? Yes, I understand why you would be confused." She licked her lips nervously. "I deleted the original book from my computer while I was with you at the hospital because seeing those words there on my monitor was too intense for me emotionally. I knew I cared for you on a deeply personal level, but I was unsure of how to explain what I was feeling _to_ you, and I didn't know what you were feeling about me...or if you'd ever return to a state of health where what either of us felt would matter. It was quite awkward, and I was afraid I would damage our relationship permanently if you knew I'd written such a romantic story with the two of us as main characters instead of Kathy and Andy…"

Booth grinned sheepishly as he put his arm around her shoulders. "Bones...I'm sorry you felt that way. I wanted to tell you I loved you, but...I guess it was awkward for me, too."

"I understand that now. Anyway, I was embarrassed...so I deleted it."

Scratching his neck, Booth shook his head as he pointed at the pages in her hands. "But here it is…"

"Yes, obviously." She rolled her eyes at his chuckle. "It's quite an interesting story as to how this manuscript came to be. As you may recall, after I was injured in that explosion at the Jeffersonian, I was under the care and supervision of a neurologist as I recovered from my concussion." Snuggling up under his arm, she smiled. "At first I thought the memory enhancement techniques Dr. Elkins had prescribed were ridiculous, but over a period of time, I noticed a tremendous improvement in my ability to recall facts, such as the names of bones or information about past cases we'd worked on. Of course, she said my success was enhanced by my superior intellect…"

"Of course it was." Booth chuckled as his wife narrowed her eyes at him. "What? I'm agreeing with you…"

"Anyway, Dr. Elkins also suggested writing down any snippets of memory I might recover, hoping that we could reconstruct what was lost from the time before my concussion. I was skeptical at first, but I was relieved to find that as the weeks went by I could remember so many more things, even though some of the memories seemed to be quite random and disjointed at first...I knew they were related to each other in some way but not to anything else I could think of...and that's when I realized what was going on. I was remembering snippets of this book. It was an incredible epiphany...like that cliche' about the clouds parting in front of the sun. I was so elated that I decided to rewrite the novel so that it wouldn't be lost again."

"Wow...that's amazing." Booth was truly impressed. "Did you remember all of the story?"

"I've estimated that I was able to collect about 90 percent of the story fragments. I think some of the details were lost forever...you know, the parts that add texture to the book...but I just filled in those gaps with other things. My writing style is consistent, so I could rely on some of my previous books for help with the minor things." Brennan sighed as she opened to a page midway in the manuscript. "Once I had the fragments, I had to arrange them in a logical order, which was difficult since the original was written on the spur of the moment, without an outline, but I'm finally satisifed that it makes sense."

"I'm so proud of you!" Booth kissed the top of her head. "And I bet your publisher will be thrilled to get her hands on this." He looked into her beautiful blue eyes and smiled. "But I still don't understand why you think would be a good gift for me. I mean, I love it, but..."

"I'm not going to have this published to be sold to the general public. This is our story, Booth...yours and mine. It belongs only to us...what's ours is ours. You've told me that so many times. I think this story is too personal to share with anyone else." He nodded silently as she continued. "When I finished the story, I considered sending it to my editor, but the thought of someone else reading something that I regarded as being so intimate...so profound...something we shared so closely between just the two of us...I couldn't do it." Seeing his intense expression, she sighed. "It's hard to explain what I mean...but sharing this story with anyone but you seemed almost sacreligious…"

"You don't have to explain it, Bones. I know what you mean, and you're right. This belongs to you and me, and I'm too selfish to let anyone else read it. Nobody else would understand it like we do...and I sure as hell don't want to explain it to some stranger."

She ran her fingers across a page. "I agree wholeheartedly. So, instead, I had the story printed and bound like this. There are two copies...one for you, and one for me."

"So our three kids can argue over them when we're both gone, right?" Booth chuckled at her look of surprise. "I think maybe making one or two more copies couldn't hurt." Sighing softly, he reached over to take the book from her hands. "I love my gift, Bones. The fact that it's something that came from your heart...something that you wrote while you were trying to help me at such a low point in my life...it's just priceless, you know? Thank you…" He kissed her tenderly, smiling as she caressed his cheek. "I still think it's weird that you're giving me a gift on your birthday, though."

"I suppose so, but it seemed to be important enough to warrant a special occasion, and I was tired of waiting to give it to you. I've had it hidden away for several months now…."

"I see! So you've been holding out on me, huh? We'll just see about that." He lightly tickled her ribs, laughing as she squealed and tried to get away. "What other secrets are you keeping?"

She jumped up from the sofa. "Come find out...they're in the bedroom." She gave him a naughty smirk as she pointed to the manuscript. "Bring the book...there are some new things in there you'll want to try. My imagination ran away with me, and I've enhanced the story with some rather steamy scenes." She ran her hands down her curves, wiggling her hips at him. "I'm going to go try on the new lingerie you bought me for my birthday…"

Booth grinned as she dashed off to the bedroom. Putting his glass on the table, he picked up the bound pages and sauntered down the hall to join her. "I can't wait to see how your new stuff looks on you, Bones...but don't get too comfortable in that blue negligee. You won't be wearing that frilly get up very long." He laughted to himself as he entered the bedroom and took her in his arms. "I've got some secrets of my own to share with you this evening."

"Well then…" she purred. "Let's get started. I'm not getting any younger."

"We've got the rest of our lives, Bones." He kissed her passionately. "I love you so much, and nothing will ever change that. This is what's ours, Bones...me and you...our love...our family...nothing else matters. That's all that's important."

"What's ours is ours, Booth, and you're right. That will never change." She ran her hands over his broad chest. "Okay...no more talking...no more secrets…come to bed…"

Turning off the bedroom lights, they climbed into bed and embraced each other tenderly, immersed in the love that was theirs alone...a love so unfathomable that only the two of them could understand its depths.

What was theirs was theirs...for the rest of their lives together.

* * *

_**Thank you for reading my Summer challenge story and commenting on it. I had fun writing it. Laura.**_


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